Cursed Wedlock
by MyKonstantine
Summary: After Voldemort is gone, Ron and Hermione still haven't admitted their feelings. Will being recruited to save a friend's wedding change all that? Can they survive the Weasley Curse and survive each other?
1. Weasley Nights

I'm finally back with another story! Thank you to everyone who supported my last story, Vengeance. It's thanks to all of you that I decided to write this story. Now that summer has come around I'll have plenty of more time to write, and I'm really looking forward to it! Thanks again  
  
Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine  
  
Rated R for sexual references, swearing, and graphic, violent images.  
  
Chapter 1: Weasley Nights  
  
Hermione's bed rattled as the headboard in the room next to hers hit into the wall separating the two rooms. Moans and dirty phrases could be heard clearly through the thin barrier of the rooms.  
  
Reluctantly, Hermione groaned and looked over the to clock.  
  
It was 4 o'clock in the bloody morning, and Harry and Ginny had forgot the Silencing Charm.. again! Would they ever give it a rest?  
  
After hearing another particularly obscene groan that spilled out of Harry's mouth, Hermione pulled back the covers and jumped out of bed. She couldn't just lay there and listen to it anymore.  
  
Her fragile feet tiptoed down the stairs of the Weasley household, trying her best not to wake anyone who Harry and Ginny weren't already keeping awake.  
  
She had been living at The Burrow for just over a year now, since Harry had defeated Voldemort during the battle at Durmstrang in their seventh year. Hermione slept in Charlie's old room, and Harry slept in the room that once belonged to Bill. Unfortunately, Ginny 'slept' in Harry's room most nights as well.  
  
Unsure of what to do now that Hermione's ears were safe from the disturbing sounds, she turned toward the kitchen. A nice cup of tea seemed like a lovely way to clear her mind.  
  
Having taken her wand downstairs with her, Hermione picked up the kettle and prepared to cast a Warming Spell on the water inside. However, she was surprised to realize that the pot was already piping hot.  
  
"Insolent gits!" She heard someone mumble rather harshly behind her. She spun around to see Ron gulping down tea and cursing to himself. "Bloody shagging in the crowded house, not even trying to be quiet."  
  
"Ron?" Hermione asked in a very confused tone. Ron was so shocked that he dropped his teacup, which shattered on Mrs. Weasley's precious kitchen floor.  
  
"Repairo!" Hermione pointed her wand at the teacup and watched it magically piece itself back together. She shook her head at Ron, who was blushing a deep crimson that could be seen throughout the dimly lit kitchen.  
  
"Are you alright?" She leaned down so she was eye level to him across the table.  
  
Ron nodded vigorously. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I just thought I was alone."  
  
Hermione smiled at him. "I think we both just need some tea. Accio teacup!" Ron's teacup flew from the floor into Hermione's hand, and poured them both a cup of tea.  
  
Why Hermione was still so attached to Ron, she would never know. The war and the fall of Voldemort had brought many people together, but not them. Harry admitted his love for Ginny at the end, but Ron had said nothing to Hermione.  
  
She didn't expect vows to eternal love or for him to drip all over her every second of the day. A nice 'Would you like to go out for dinner sometime?' would have been enough to please her. Still, nothing of the sort came from the lips of Ronald Weasley.  
  
Yet at that moment, Hermione realized that they were closer in the days after the war than they ever had been before. Between them, the talks were longer, the bickering louder, the kisses on the cheek more often, and the love more evident to the world then ever, but neither would admit it to the other.  
  
"So," Hermione said, sitting down and smirking into her teacup. "Did the noises keep you up too?"  
  
He made a little whimpering noise. "Can we not talk about that, Mione? That's my little sister after all!"  
  
Torturing Ron about Harry and Ginny's relationship had become a hobby for Hermione. "Yes, your little sister and your best friend. And from the sounds of it they have the most amazing--"  
  
"ACK! NO!" Ron cried out, moving across the table to place his hand over Hermione's mouth. "Don't you dare say it!"  
  
They sat in silence for a moment, and when Ron was satisfied he took has hand off of her mouth and leaned back into his seat.  
  
It was a bad mistake on Ron's part. "Sex." Hermione said quickly, smirking once again. "They must have the most amazing sex."  
  
Ron let out a frustrated yell. "Hermione! You know how much that bugs me! I'll accept the relationship, but leave the shagging issue alone!"  
  
"It's kind of hard to leave it alone when it's happening right now." Hermione said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Stop! Stop it!" Ron said, burying his face in his hands. The was a long pause before he said, "They're so lucky that my parents' room is three floors above them."  
  
"And with the amount of children they have, your parents are probably shagging right now as well." Hermione laughed, clearly joking with him.  
  
Ron, however, didn't seem to find it funny. He looked disgusted as he pointed a figure at her. "That one crossed the line. You hit below the below, you did!"  
  
"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry!" Hermione giggled, picking a napkin off the pile in the center of the table and waving it around like one would a white flag.  
  
He did not answer her, but went to the bottom of the staircase. She followed him quietly, and they both listened intently. All was silent.  
  
"I think it's safe to go back to bed." Ron whispered.  
  
Hermione nodded in agreement and they both creeped up the stairs.  
  
Ron's room was across the hall from Hermione's room. They stood in the corridor for a moment, staying silent and avoiding eye contact just as they did when they were twelve-year-olds.  
  
"Well, goodnight then." Ron mumbled, hurrying into his bedroom. He seemed a little odd, but Hermione paid no mind to it as she walked passed her bedroom to the bathroom down the hall.  
  
Coming back from the bathroom, Hermione had a masculine moan once again.  
  
Not again! She was about to rant to herself about Harry and Ginny's antics when she heard another moan, and realized it didn't come from Harry's room.  
  
The sound came from Ron's room. Hermione stood outside his door, utterly shocked for a moment. Her confidence building, she strutted back to her room, deciding to keep this little secret to herself. 


	2. Errand Innuendoes

Chapter two! Woohoo! Thank you for all the reviews. Seeing them in my inbox really just puts a smile on my face. Many of you caught on to the fact that I'm trying to make this story a bit more humorous. Hopefully I'll do the humor justice in this chapter as well.  
  
Solin – Yes, they are! That's part of why it's rated R, but I'm sure you don't mind! Haha!  
  
Iono – Intrigued, eh? The whole story's not going to be that dirty, but I figured it was a good way to catch attention! I'll be sure to keep it coming!  
  
spidermonkeesrkewl – Awww thank you! I hope you find this story as good as Vengeance, if not better. And yes, I do enjoy torturing Ron and Hermione just a bit for the sake of humor!  
  
Lucidity – Ron and Hermione are definitely my lead couple, so you'll just have to see how that unfolds! I'm glad you enjoy the story!  
  
Kountry Sister – I try to get chapters out quickly since I don't have to worry about school now, and hopefully you'll enjoy those chapters as much as you enjoyed the first!  
  
Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.  
  
Chapter 2: Errand Innuendoes  
  
The next day, Hermione wasn't woken by the sound of chirping birds or the sun in her face, but by Ginny throwing a pillow in her face.  
  
"C'mon Hermione, love. Mum made breakfast and then we're heading to Diagon Alley." Love? Since when did Ginny Weasley call her 'love'? Plus, the red- haired girl sounded a bit distraught.  
  
Hermione rolled over in bed to see Ginny's face tear-streaked and distressed. Her eyes widened in shock. "Ginny! Are you alright?"  
  
Ginny painted on a weak smile and said, "I'm fine. I.. I stubbed my toe a minute ago and it hurt a bit." She paused and inhaled sharply. "Now get your ass down to breakfast before my Mum kills us both."  
  
Hermione went to breakfast almost immediately after getting ready. She was surprised to find that Ginny wasn't there yet. She must have really hurt her foot.  
  
Fred, George, and Ron sat at the table, gobbling up seconds that Mrs. Weasley gave them. The twins lived in their own apartment now, but came home often for their Mother's cooking.  
  
"Hermione, dear!" Mrs. Weasley said. "Sit down and let me get you something to eat."  
  
She nodded and watched quietly as Mrs. Weasley over-filled her plate. Hermione would give all the extra food to the guys later.  
  
She had just begun eating when she heard footsteps down the stairs and looked up to see Harry. He sat down rather groggily and took the plate that Mrs. Weasley offered him. However, by the time Ginny had come downstairs about ten minutes later, Harry had barely touched his food.  
  
"Harry, aren't you hungry? You aren't eating very well this morning." Mrs. Weasley stated, concern shooting through her voice.  
  
Ginny gave Harry an urgent look, and he ran a hand through his already messy mane. "It's alright, Molly. I'm just feeling a bit ill this morning."  
  
Ron let out a growl. "You didn't sound ill last night." He mumbled before sticking a large piece of ham into his mouth. Hermione choked on her orange juice.  
  
"What was that, Ronald?" Mrs. Weasley asked, walking over and placing a hand on Harry's forehead. Ron looked shaky for a moment before assuring his mother it was nothing and exchanging a smile with Hermione.  
  
"Well, you don't feel too warm, Harry dear." Molly continued to mush her palm into Harry's forehead. A piece of his jet-black hair fell near his nose and he let out a wild sneeze that caused her to shout and fall up against the table.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley!" Harry was clearly embarrassed. He took a nervous gulp in juice. "I'm feeling better than before I ate. I'm sure it'll pass by the time we leave."  
  
Harry's hand rested on the table, and Ginny slowly moved her hand over his. The rest of the meal continued as usual, but there was an uneasy tension that lingered.  
  
Ron stood in the window at Quality Quidditch Supplies. Hermione could practically see him drooling over the brooms and equipment inside.  
  
"Hermione. Hermione! HERMIONE!" Her head shook out of her daze and she turned slowly to Harry.  
  
"Thank you for listening!" Harry said in an exasperated tone. He grabbed her by the shoulder to make sure she was paying attention. "Okay, now that I've got my broom compass, I'm going to run a few errands. Will you and Ron be fine by yourselves?"  
  
Hermione looked back to Ron, who was still attached to the window. "I'll be fine. Merlin knows if he'll manage though."  
  
Harry walked off, and Hermione tapped Ron on the shoulder. He jumped around and grabbed her hand, as though Hermione's hand was about to violently attack him.  
  
"Whoa, Karate Kid!" Hermione said, jerking her hand out of his grip. "Are you ready to go now?"  
  
Ron acted like he hadn't just had a three-second heart attack. "Oh yeah. I was just checking this out and now I'm all set." He looked around for a moment. "Where's Harry?"  
  
"He just left to do errands." Hermione clasped Ron's hand and began to pull him down the Alley. She expected him to move his hand away once they were walking at a steady pace, but he didn't.  
  
"Errands? What does Harry need to buy?" Ron question, utter confusion in his tone.  
  
"Toys. You know, for Ginny." Hermione said, a smirk making its way across her face. She knew that Ron understood what she was implying when he cringed.  
  
"For such a brilliant woman, your mind is like a sewer." Ron's voice squeaked a bit as he spoke. She got so many laughs out of making him flinch.  
  
Hermione just shook her head. "We need to get rid of him, anyway! I still need to buy his birthday present!"  
  
"I already got him something from the twins' shop. Where are going now?"  
  
"Flourish and Blotts, of course!" Hermione called out, eliciting a huff of disappointment from her red-haired companion.  
  
Hermione had pulled Ron into the store before he had a chance to run. However, the Weasley bumped into another one of his kind after going through the doorway.  
  
"Ginny! Sorry!" Ron said quickly, though his little sister still looked as though a train had hit her.  
  
"Oh, I'm fine! I was just running some errands! I'm done now! Bye!" She said in rapid squeaking succession before rushing out of the bookstore.  
  
"What is it with everyone and bloody errands today?" Ron's stare followed Ginny down Diagon Alley until she was out of sight.  
  
"I dunno." Hermione said earnestly. "What book did she have?"  
  
Ron scrunched up his face in concentration. He was so cute when he did that. "I only saw a couple words on it. 'What to...' something. Oh well, Ginny's strange."  
  
"But at least Ginny gets some."  
  
"URGH!"  
  
When the day winded down, the Weasley family, Harry, and Hermione retreated back to the Burrow for dinner.  
  
The mood was much lighter than it had been at breakfast, but Harry and Ginny still had a clamp on their mouths.  
  
Ron played with his mashed potatoes, rocking back and forth on the two back legs of the chair.  
  
"Ron, don't do that!" Hermione scolded, though a smile graced her lips. "You're not ten years old!"  
  
Ron continued to rock, but now more drastically to bother Hermione.  
  
Mrs. Weasley magically cleared the table, but before anyone left, Harry cleared his throat.  
  
"Excuse me, we have an announcement." Harry was obviously fighting to keep his voice steady. He then gave Ginny a little squeeze and she inhaled sharply.  
  
She looked around the table like a frightened kitten. "Mum.. Dad.. Everyone.. I'm pregnant."  
  
Ron's chair that was formerly rocking fell backwards and he hit the ground with a loud "OOF!"  
  
Hermione stayed silent. Fred and George went into shock for a moment before one of them muttered "Congratulations, love."  
  
Mrs. Weasley began to cry a little and found herself in a tight hug with her husband.  
  
Harry was the next to speak. "I'm sorry. I never meant to do this." He aimed this specifically at Ginny's attending brothers, who looked like they were about to kill him. Painfully.  
  
"Listen, Ginny." Harry said, turning back to the quite distressed girl. "I know this isn't exactly the order it should all go in, but.."  
  
Harry pulled a black velvet case out of his pocket and took a knee. "Ginny Weasley, I've been in love with you since my sixth year at Hogwarts. Maybe even before that. I want to have this child properly, and more importantly I want to be with you forever."  
  
He opened the box a revealed a princess-cut diamond on a silver band. "So, please, Ginny. Will you be my bride?"  
  
The rest of room stayed dead silent as Ginny let a single tear slide down her cheek and cried out. "Yes, Harry Potter! Of course!"  
  
Hermione felt her own tears well up in her eyes, but she blinked them away. Ron was the first to congratulate Harry and Ginny, and there was a bright moment to congratulations and cheers from all the children after that.  
  
However, they stopped when they saw the worry-stricken faces of Arthur and Molly Weasley.  
  
Arthur spoke, as he seemed to be the one in less shock.  
  
"Harry, Ginny, you know that you have our blessing. Though the baby incident is a bit surprising, we've always dreamed about our little girl getting her happily ever after. However, I'm afraid it's a little more complicated than that."  
  
Muahahaha evil cliffy! My sincerest apologies for that, but what must be done must be done. Was it a good chapter? Too short? Too boring? Please, give me any praise or (constructive) criticism you might have! Review! 


	3. Curses and Loopholes

I wrote this entire chapter in one sitting, I'm proud. This chapter is basically one big explanation at the core of the plot. There's not as much humor, but hopefully it will keep you all interested. Either way, it calmed my nervous before my audition (I'm a high school student and this is my first professional theater audition.) I hope you all like it!  
  
Solin- Yeah, they're getting married. Hence the whole 'wedlock' thing. ;) You've also caught on to my biggest weakness, which is I'm usually unable to beef up the chapter. This one is the little longer than the others though.  
  
Marie Lexis- I'm glad you're reviewing again! Thank you for the support! I figured that Hermione likes to torture Ron a bit (as do I), and someone had to have a fun reaction to Ginny's pregnancy!  
  
Lucidity- Yeah, I know. That's Harry's nature though, to making all the wrong things he did right. It's part of the whole hero deal. I'm getting into the Ron and Hermione thing slowly because I gotta save the good stuff for the end! However, I added a little fluff in this chapter that you'll like.  
  
Wind-demoness- Haha, Thank you! I hope you like this chapter too!  
  
Sgtpepper- I'll get into the ship, I promise! These things take time and careful planning! Thanks for the support and I hope you like the chapter!  
  
Jaime- Thanks! I'll keep the updates coming!  
  
Asia Cwiakala- Yeah, I'm a big fan of using cliffhangers. It keeps readers on their toes!  
  
Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.  
  
Chapter 3: Curses and Loopholes  
  
"Complicated?" Ginny replied hotly. Her face showed anger but a bit of confusion. Why would they say that Ginny's marriage to the man she loved would be complicated?  
  
"There's much more to this family than we've ever told you, dear." Mrs. Weasley stared down at the table, unable to look her daughter and future son-in-law in the eye. "Weasley marriage is complicated."  
  
"Again with the damn 'complicated'" Ginny growled, but before she said anything else, it was Ron's turn to be confused.  
  
"Mum, this wouldn't be the first marriage in our family. Bill's wedding went off without a hitch, and so did Charlie's!"  
  
There was just as much worry in Ron's eyes as in Ginny's. He gripped the edge of the table, as if he were trying to snap the wood like a pencil. Hermione's hand pried his hand off the table. She ran a thumb across his rough skin and murmured "It's okay," before letting go again.  
  
"You're right, Ron." Mr. Weasley said slowly. "They both had beautiful weddings, but they only went so well because the Weasley involved wasn't the bride."  
  
"Oh, so this is a SEXIST curse now?" Ginny stood up, pushing her chair in with a slam. "Yes, because women don't have enough trouble planning the wedding and baring the children and taking care of the slobbering mangy men! Let's curse them!"  
  
"Slobbering and mangy?" Fred repeated, looking a bit appalled.  
  
"Hormones." Harry mumbled under his breath. He put his hand over his mouth to muffle it. Maybe Ginny wouldn't notice that way. Fred smiled appreciatively at the green-eyed man to his left.  
  
"HORMONES?" Ginny's wand whipped out of her back pocket, but didn't point it at anyone in particular. "I've just been told that I'm cursed, and you're trying to blame hormones!"  
  
Hermione giggled inwardly. Ginny was exactly like Molly Weasley. She was sweet as a dream, but had a temper like a fire-breathing dragon when given the reason. Only these two women could have made Ron the amazing man he was.  
  
Wait! Did she just think that? ..It must've been all the unfolding drama.  
  
Fred and George put on fake smiles and stood up from their chairs. "Well, this visit has been pleasant, but I think it's best we go home before our little sister has kittens."  
  
"She's not having kittens. She's having a baby." Ron said stupidly, earning strange looks from the entire family. George opened his mouth to make a smart-ass to Ron, but shut it again when he found Ginny's wand in his face.  
  
"Sit down! Nobody moves until I figure this out!" Fred and George plunked back into their chairs.  
  
Hermione cleared her throat. If they were going to figure it out, she wanted to do it quickly. "So, what is this curse exactly? Where did it come from?"  
  
"Leave it to my Hermione to get right down to business." Ron laughed. Did he just call her his Hermione? Oh well, that wasn't important right now.  
  
"Well, the curse begins in medieval times, when Lord Robertus Weasley ruled over the Kingdom of Elytoe." Mr. Weasley explained. "He had one sibling. A sister named Gweneveire."  
  
"Gweneveire was Robertus' only companion after his true love rejected him. He was a bitter and often harsh ruler who had no love or sympathy in his heart. So, when Gweneveire fell in love with Henry, Duke of Chershire, Robertus immediately forbid their marriage. He didn't want his sister to have happiness is he couldn't have it himself."  
  
"What did she do?" Ginny asked in a breathy voice. Her eyes were wide and she looked completely captivated by the words leaving her father's mouth. It was as if she was still a mere child being told a fairy tale.  
  
"She married Henry anyway." Mr. Weasley said quickly. "This only served to infuriate Robertus, and so he killed Henry months later and cast a curse on his sister." The tension was thick, like smoke in a burning building. Everyone sat with his or her breath hitched, trying to figure out the extremity of the Weasley curse.  
  
"The curse said that unless her brother was married first, no Weasley woman could marry, or else she would die a gruesome death just as Henry had."  
  
There was a general uproar at this point, but Mrs. Weasley managed to silence them all. "There's more."  
  
Mr. Weasley took a deep breath. "Before Henry died, Gweneveire had conceived a child. She later gave birth to a baby boy, which she named Harold. She loved her son with all her heart. However, he was a great source of her depression, as she longed for her husband."  
  
"Gweneveire gave her son to one of her ladies-in-waiting, who became the child's guardian. It is said that the guardian had special powers that gave her insight into the mind of Gweneveire and helped keep her safe from suicide. However, Gweneveire didn't need suicide. She grew weak and ill and soon died, but not before cursing her brother."  
  
"Somebody should have told these two that long-term curses are no way to solve sibling rivalry." Harry injected.  
  
"The curse was made so that if any Weasley woman gave birth out of wedlock, it would kill the woman's brother. This was, of course, because Robertus was the only thing that ruined Gweneveire and Henry's marriage, and thus she blamed all brothers."  
  
"Of course, Gweneveire didn't know about the course Robertus had cast, and how much the two contradicted each other. The two curses became one, and so formed the Weasley curse."  
  
The shock in the room was evident. Looks of curiosity turned into looks of deep depression. Heads feel into hands, and slowly tears trickled down soft white cheeks.  
  
"Let's summarize this." Ron said, sounding rather aggravated. "If Ginny gets married, she'll die. If Ginny has a baby when she's no married, all her brothers will die."  
  
"Technically, no." Mrs. Weasley said to Ron. "Gweneveire only had one brother, so the curse only effects the first brother closest in age."  
  
"Well that's bloody great!" Ron said, gripping the table once again. "At least I'll be the only one kicking the bucket!"  
  
"There's got to be a loophole." Harry said desperately. He held Ginny tight in his arms. "There's always a loophole."  
  
"The only way to curse has no effect is if the family is all boys or all girls, and obviously that won't work." Mr. Weasley said plainly. He was the calmest out of all of them, having had known the cruse almost his entire life.  
  
"It is said that just as Gweneveire had a guardian who helped her with Harold, there is a guardian for each Weasley woman who can help them counteract the curse. However, neither the woman or the guardian herself knows their position or the power it holds."  
  
By this time, Ginny was sobbing uncontrollably. She let out a loud yelp that caused everyone else to turn the concerned faces to her.  
  
"Hormones!" She squeaked, before jumping out of his chair and rushing upstairs.  
  
In the wee hours of the morning, Ron and Hermione stayed up playing chess. She lost game after game, but that wasn't the point. She was going to get him to talk, to tell her what he was thinking.  
  
The fifth game was silent until they heard someone clunk down the stairs. Harry walked into the room looking particularly disheartened.  
  
He held up the small diamond ring in his hand. "I didn't even get to put this on her." He sighed, "But she's finally fallen asleep."  
  
"At least she'll get some rest tonight." Hermione tried to keep her voice calm and nonchalant. There was enough emotion running around already, and she needed to be strong for Harry and the Weasleys.  
  
"I think she'll be the only one." Harry said, placing the ring on the side table.  
  
Ron looked at Harry quickly, then back down at the chalkboard. "Why aren't you still up there with her?"  
  
"I'm her to convey a message." Harry stated. "Ginny wants to meet tomorrow in Diagon Alley at two o'clock. She's leaving early in the morning to do research, but she'll meet you after that."  
  
"Yeah, cool. I'll meet her." Ron said, never taking his eyes off the chessboard.  
  
Harry stood there for another moment, as if waiting for something else to be said before dismissing himself back to bed.  
  
Hermione couldn't take the tactful silence anymore. "Hey Ron, what's going on in your head?"  
  
Ron groaned for a moment. Without warning, he swiped the chessboard and the pieces flew into the wall.  
  
"It's too much, Hermione! It's too damn much!" His head fell into his hands. He wasn't crying, but Hermione had never seen Ron cry at all. "There's no way around this!"  
  
"There is." Hermione said. She's thought about this certain loophole since right after Mr. Weasley had explained the situation. "It's not quite fair to you."  
  
"What? Letting them have the baby and killing myself?" Ron cried, trying to figure out with the bushy-haired girl meant.  
  
Hermione gasped. "Ron! Never! The last thing I want to do is see anyone die!"  
  
Ron began to feel terribly guilty for his outburst and accusations. Hermione stared at the floor, her heart sinking. Ron walked around the table, leaned down, and pulled her into a tight embrace.  
  
"I'm sorry, 'Mione. I'm sorry." After she seemed to relax a bit, he whispered "What's this loophole, then?"  
  
"Robertus' curse only works if the brother isn't married." Hermione stated quietly. "So, if you were married, Ginny and Harry would be able to marry safely, and their baby would be legitimate. Everyone's safe."  
  
Ron thought about it for a moment. "That would work, but that's not the best way."  
  
Now it was Hermione's turn to be confused. "Why not?" She asked.  
  
"What if me or one of the others had a boy and then a little girl someday?" He sighed. "The curse would just start all over again. I need a way to break this bloody curse for good."  
  
Hermione just nodded. It was a noble cause that she understood. It wasn't about Ron. It was about the future family he'd need to protect.  
  
"Then I'd be able to marry on my own terms." Ron added. "I want her to know it's because I love her."  
  
Hermione giggled. "You say that like you've already picked out your future wife."  
  
He just blushed and laughed uncertainly. Something caught Hermione's eye. Ginny's engagement ring still lay on the table next to them.  
  
"Oh, Harry left this down here." She stood up and scooped the ring into her hand.  
  
Suddenly, she fell to her knees. Her veins felt like they had ice ruining though them, but at the same time she was burning up.  
  
A vivid image etched itself into her head. The ring was on a petite hand, but there was something very wrong with it.  
  
The hand was bleeding, and not from a cut. Blood slowly seeped through the pores of the hand, dying it crimson from the inside outside.  
  
There was a loud scream as another bleeding hand tried to take off the ring and the skin peeled off around it, leaving nothing but blood and bone on that part of the finger.  
  
Hermione felt hands grasp her shoulders and she snapped back into reality, dropping the ring on the floor.  
  
"Hermione! Are you okay?" Ron knelt on the floor next to her. It took her a few seconds to regain her composure, but she slowly nodded to him.  
  
"I just had a bit of a dizzy spell." Hermione said rapidly, deciding it best not to tell Ron about what had just happened. After all, it was just some hand. "I think it's best if I go to bed."  
  
She pointed to the ring on the floor. "You might want to give that back to Harry tomorrow." Ron picked the ring up off the floor. Nothing happened.  
  
Without another word, Hermione began to ascend the staircase.  
  
"Hey 'Mione?" Ron called from downstairs. She stopped and turned around.  
  
"Would you ever marry someone if it meant saving their life?" He asked, adding in quickly, "That's hypothetical, of course."  
  
A small smile graced her lips. "Yes."  
  
Woo! One more chapter down! I hope that it lived up to everyone's expectations. Hopefully ff.net doesn't take out my page breaks now like it did before! I've lovin' all the input I've gotten, so please continue with it! REVIEW! 


	4. Seeking Answers

Ahhh! So many reviews! Thank you! I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I really support the support behind the story. This is more of a transition chapter than anything. Anyhow, lots of review replies to write, so here it goes!  
  
Sgtpepper- Thank you! I'll try to keep the chapters coming regularly!  
  
Isnani- You're into it? Whew! It's good to know I can keep people interested!  
  
Marie Lexis- Thanks for the editing help. I'll definitely figure that all out. It's awesome that you're still into my stories, you having been my first reviewer ever at all. I'm honored.  
  
Harrysmom- I dunno, is she supposed to be? wink Time will tell! I'm glad you think the story is cool!  
  
Lucidity- Yeah, the loophole is a huge part of it all. I'm sure you've already guessed that it'll effect the plot, because like you said, Ron doesn't want anyone to die!  
  
Asia Cwiakala- You're loving my story muchly, I'm loving your reviews muchly. Thank you!  
  
ShadowDown- Why thank you! It's good to know that the plot itself interests you, but I'll keep the humor I can in there for good measure.  
  
Alece- Ignorance is bliss, indeed. They're meant to be, it's inevitable, but realizing it is the fun part. I try to keep my plots original, so I'm pleased to hear that you've never read a story similar to this one before.  
  
Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.  
  
Chapter 4: Seeking Answers  
  
Hermione didn't know what time she finally fell asleep at, but the Weasley house was already bustling by the time she rolled herself out of bed. She didn't know how they could all be so busy and lively after the events of the night before.  
  
She yawned continuously as she waddled down the hall before hearing Mrs. Weasley chatting in the kitchen.  
  
"Yes, Harry dear, I was worried at first." Mrs. Weasley said. "But then I realized this may be a blessing in disguise. My children are going to get married!"  
  
Hermione's ears perked up, and she cautiously moved down a step so that Harry and Mrs. Weasley came into view.  
  
"Children?" Harry repeated in befuddlement. "Child, you mean? It's only Ginny."  
  
Hermione shook her head to herself. Harry hadn't discovered the loophole. For the boy who was once the wizarding world's only hope, Harry Potter wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. She was the brightest, Hermione thought. She knew that out of her year, she was the hot pink crayon or perhaps lime green or—nevermind.  
  
"Well, unless somebody can find another way, Ron will get married. That's the only way he could save himself and Ginny." Mrs. Weasley seemed to be cooking something lovely in the oven. The smell wafted throughout the house.  
  
A look of revelation dawned on Harry's face, but it quickly converted to a look of guilt.  
  
"I wouldn't want to force Ron into a marriage outside of his free will." Hermione leaned forward more so that Harry now came into view. She was in her tiptoes, but held a good grip on the banister.  
  
Mrs. Weasley laughed lightly before moving closer to Harry. "You and I know very well, dear, that Ron is bound to marry our Hermione eventually, so there's no forcing involved."  
  
Hermione's eyes widened. She leaned even further just in time to see Harry's nod of agreement before losing balance and tumbling down the stairs. She hit the ground seemingly with loud "THUD" seconds later, seemingly unharmed.  
  
"HERMIONE!" Harry shouted as she rolled into The Burrow's kitchen. "What are you doing on the floor?"  
  
What was she doing on the floor? Honestly now, did he REALLY just say that?  
  
"I dunno.." She said slowly. She yelled at herself to think of a good excuse that made Harry thinking she hadn't heard them. She could do it! She was the hot pink crayon, after all.  
  
"I suppose I was sleepwalking, because I don't remember anything besides falling down the stairs." Yeah, that one was bloody brilliant.  
  
Mrs. Weasley came over and helped Hermione off the floor. "Sleepwalking?" She said skeptically. "Well, at least you're alright, dear."  
  
Hermione wasn't sure if they truly bought her excuse or not, but decided it was best to change the subject at this point.  
  
"So, where are Ron and Ginny?" She asked, causing Harry and Molly to give each other knowing looks. Apparently, her bringing up Ron was an instant sign of marriage nowadays.  
  
"Ginny went out to do some family research early this morning, and Ron left a little while ago to meet her in Diagon Alley." Molly Weasley said, motioning for Hermione to sit at the table.  
  
Hermione nodded. She remembered Harry telling Ron to meet Ginny last night while they were playing chess. It was only seconds afterward when she saw the bloody image while she held the ring.  
  
Her heart sunk as she thought about it, but she still wasn't able to tell the Weasleys. Things like that happened all the time in the wizarding world, and not every vision truly meant something. There was no reason for her to scare them.  
  
"You left the ring on the table last night. Did you get it back?" was all she said of the gold and gemstone.  
  
Harry nodded, delved in his pocket, and pulled the ring out. "Ginny and I still have to work this whole 'Marriage and a baby' thing out. I mean, it's hard enough to plan when nobody wants your fiancée or best friend dead."  
  
As if hearing her cue, Ginny came out of the fireplace, quickly followed by Ron. She looked flustered as she wiped a stray hair out of her face and turned back to her brother.  
  
"Ronald Weasley! I can't believe you did that to a poor old man!" Her walked to the table and placed a bag down so hard that the table shook.  
  
"What I did to HIM?" Ron bellowed oddly. "I accidentally push into the bloke, he falls over, and when I tried to help him up he STUNNED ME! Right in between the eyes! I was attacked!"  
  
Harry let out a snort. Ginny shook her head slowly. "Ron! He was blind! He thought you were about to mug him!"  
  
"Well he didn't have to stun me! He could've just asked what I was doing!"  
  
Hermione took this moment to make a comment that would make Fred and George proud. "That's exactly what I would've done if I were a blind old wizard. 'Gee, Mr. Person who just threw me to the ground, are you about to hurt me?'" Her voice dripped heavily with sarcasm.  
  
Ron tried to think of a clever comeback while the others laughed, but only came back with "Oh, sod off! We've got more important matters to deal with!"  
  
Ginny took a seat next to Harry, pulling her bag across the table with her. Harry tried to peak inside, but Ginny quickly slapped his hand away.  
  
"I'll be going upstairs then. Now is not the time for me to mosey about." Mrs. Weasley spoke up after watching the children amusedly in the minutes before.  
  
"I should go with you, Molly." Hermione said, but Mrs. Weasley quickly protested. "No, dear! These are your friends! I'm sure it's best if you're kept up to date!"  
  
Hermione sighed, but stayed in her seat. Apparently, if she listened to this, it was also a sign of marriage in Mrs. Weasley's eyes.  
  
The eldest women waddled up the stairs, leaving the four teenagers alone.  
  
After a moment of tense silence, Ginny spoke. "Ron and I discussed what's going on. It's all too much to take in. It's too much to ask." Her voice grew meek as she spoke, but a strong male voice cut through her emotional speech.  
  
"But I don't care." Ron said firmly. He seemed to have gotten over the sibling spat he had with Ginny had just seconds before. "If I need to get married to keep anyone from dying, I'm going to do that."  
  
Harry and Hermione nodded. They know understood what Ginny was saying. It was all too much for anyone to ask of Ron.  
  
"Harry and I should get married at least a month or so before the baby is born." Ginny began. "So, if we can't find a way to break this curse more than two months before the baby's due date, Ron is going to get married."  
  
Harry looked at Ron with a puzzle expression. "Who's going to marry you?"  
  
Ron's ears turned crimson and he rolled his eyes. "You say that like I'm hopeless. Thanks, mate. Thanks a lot."  
  
"You are hopeless!" Harry was clearly joking. "Seriously though, who's the lucky girl you'll ask?"  
  
Ginny smiled knowingly, but Ron just let out a grunt. He uneasily looked into the face of all the others in the room and said, "We'll get there when we get there."  
  
"In the meantime, we've got a wedding to plan." Harry said, pulling the diamond ring out of his pocket and slowly placing it on Ginny's finger. She smiled graciously and gave him a quick kiss.  
  
"You two do." Hermione said. "I've got a curse to research."  
  
"I'm glad you'll help with the curse, but I think it's best that the Maid of Honor have some say in the wedding as well." Ginny said with a sparkle in her eye.  
  
"And the best man too, of course." Harry injected, pointing quickly to Ron. Hermione began to thank the couple over and over again while Ron just smiled at them.  
  
Ginny let out a yawn. "I'm too tired right now. We'll have to reconvene later in the day."  
  
It was shortly after dinner when they met again in the living room. Ginny brought along her bag again, but this time revealed its contents: A strange mix of books between 'Conquered Ancient Curses' and 'The Witches Guide to Your Dream Wedding.'  
  
"Ron and I picked them up at Flourish and Blotts." Ron coughed and corrected her. "I did not pick out any wedding books!"  
  
"Fine!" Ginny said quickly. "I picked out the wedding books and Ron picked out one or two of the curse books."  
  
However, that sentence didn't seem to please Ron either. "You make it seem like I barely did anything!"  
  
Before Ginny exploded, Hermione swiftly turned to him and gave him a light punch. "Put a sock in it, Ronald!"  
  
He seemed to be a little upset by the gesture, but quickly got the point. When the slight commotion quieted down, Ginny pulled out a notebook and said "I've got another one to write facts about the curse in, but as I've already research that, let's talk about the wedding."  
  
Hermione nodded in agreement, but the men groaned in unison. Ginny simply ignored it and picked 'The Witches Guide to Your Dream Wedding' out of the pile.  
  
"Well, what about location?" She asked looking at Harry. "Do you have any preferences?" Harry only shook his head no, which made Ginny mumble "I didn't think so."  
  
"What about here at The Burrow?" Hermione suggested.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Hermione, you're a joke. There's not way we could fit all the guests comfortably at The Burrow."  
  
"Guests?" Harry's ear perked up. "How many guests are we talking about here?"  
  
"Well, I'd like the have my whole family attend-" "That's a lot of people!" "And our friends, of course."  
  
"We'll get back to that!" Ron shouted in order to stop the impending argument between the two before it started.  
  
"What about dresses then?" Hermione suggested for a topic change. "What color am I wearing?"  
  
Ginny thought for a moment. "Perhaps a dark gray." She said, but before she jotted it down Harry grabbed her hand. "Isn't that a little morbid?"  
  
"Fine! Fine!" Ginny gave in, a bit aggravated. She went into thought a little longer this time. "How does maroon sound, Hermione?"  
  
Hermione was about to tell Ginny that maroon sounds lovely when Ron burst out with "Ginny! Don't make people wear maroon! You're just like Mum!"  
  
Hermione gave Ron a death glare, but smiled on the inside. His crusade against all things maroon was quite amusing. However, now they'd have to think of a new color. "What about burgundy?" Hermione suggested.  
  
"That's great!" Ginny said, writing it down and ignoring Ron's protest of "Burgundy is the same thing as maroon!"  
  
"Actually Ron, Burgundy's got a tinge more red in it." Hermione said, feeding her natural inclination to correct Ron, or anyone else, for that matter.  
  
Ron responded by picking up a book about curses out of the pile. "I'd rather research than listen to this gibberish."  
  
"Wow, that's pretty bad." Harry said with a laugh. Everyone else threw eyes like daggers at him.  
  
"Fine." Ginny said stiffly. "You and Hermione can research while Harry and I plan."  
  
It was obvious at this point that the stress was becoming too much. They had months before any true choices had to be made; yet it weighed them down like a brick. It was silence for minutes on end and they all worked at their respective tasks.  
  
"I haven't bloody well accepted this 'family curse' and suddenly it's become my whole life." Ron muttered looking through the book.  
  
"Well, we all know you're not too quick on the uptake." Hermione spat back, getting aggravated with Ron as usual. "I mean, Ginny's pregnant and you can't even accept the fact that she and Harry have sex."  
  
Harry's eyes widened. "Let's not talk about that! Ginny, aren't you feeling tired? Let's all get some sleep and we can do this some other time!"  
  
"Actually, I'm not tired-" Ginny began, but Harry squeeze her leg quite obviously. "Yes, yes, sleep sounds good."  
  
"You two are so bad at this." Ron said, a lopsided smile growing on his face. "If you're going to lie, at least lie well." He flipped the book closed and reached for another one, but there were no more curse books left to look through.  
  
Hermione slammed the last of the three books she'd looked through shut. "Flourish and Blotts isn't a reliable source for real information!" She explained in a frustrated tone. "I would've never have been this lost at the Hogwarts library."  
  
"Let's go then!" Ginny said. "Where?" "Hogwarts, of course!"  
  
Hermione pulled a confused face. "But how? We can't apparate-" "Onto Hogwarts grounds, we know." Ron finished. "We don't need to apparate." "How else could we get in?"  
  
"Hermione, I know your mind works on a complex level, but I need you to be dumb with the rest of us for a moment." Harry told her, putting all their books away.  
  
She thought for a moment, but nothing came to her. Ron stood there, waiting for the idea to dawn on her, but it seemed as if it never would.  
  
Ron walked over to the fireplace and picked up a pot off of the mantle. "Floo, Hermione! Floo powder! Hogwarts has fireplaces, doesn't it?"  
  
"Bugger off, Ron!" Hermione said, picking up a handful of the powder. "Let's get going, then. The less time we're there, the less time I have to put up with this git." She jutted a thumb out at Ron.  
  
Before anyone could respond, Hermione walked into the fire, threw down her Floo powder and yelled out "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"  
  
Sorry if this chapter isn't the best, but you've got to lead to the fun stuff somehow! I'll try and update with the next action-packed chapter more quickly than I did with this one. Reviews are always appreciated! 


	5. Discovering Lucidare

Some chapters can be written in about one sitting. This chapter took me about ten. No lie! What can I say? I'm a busy girl! I made sure this chapter had a little excitement and a little mystery to it. I'm answering questions about the plot that I've gotten in reviews slowly, but that's half the fun! Hopefully this chapter won't disappoint you!  
  
Lucidity- Yeah, you need a chapter where nothing happens so that it'll be interesting when something does. As for you hunch about the information, you took the ideas right out of my head! I think Hermione's angry, because her natural way around things. He's a bit on the slow side and she snaps him back to reality.  
  
Marie Lexis- Thanks! I try to keep those classic scenes that could actually happen in real life. Goodness knows how many times I've fallen down some stairs or tipped a chair back too much!  
  
Asia Cwiakala- Oh, the banter is my favorite part to write. I'm glad that it entertains others as well.  
  
Sgtpepper- I'm sorry I'm driving you crazy! But you'll find out in this chapter how the ships really going to start coming along! Woo!  
  
Marygirl1118- You said the curse was fabricated to move the plot along. Well, it is. I'm not denying it. I wanted something that didn't directly effect Hermione, but effected the Weasleys. If that's the only way I can be satisfied with the plot, that's how I'm going to do it. Still, I'm glad you enjoyed the rest of the story, and I'll try my best to keep everyone in character.  
  
Spidermonkeesrkewl- It's only that you didn't review! I'm just glad that you've been reading still! I honestly think the idea of Harry getting his ass kicked is overrated. Girls with brothers get pregnant, but it's only like 10% of the time that the guys who got her pregnant actually get beat up for it. Plus, the Weasleys respect Harry, even though he completely screwed up.  
  
Angus Hardie- I'm glad you think so. I really try to keep the story on the right track with no loose ends or anything. I'm glad you enjoy the Ron/Hermione scenes because there will be plenty more to come!  
  
PaulaS- Yeah, the teasing is one of the part I love, because I could really imagine people I know doing that to each other.  
  
Mione- Enthusiastic, are we? Very nice! It's good that you find the plot original because I work hard to keep it that way!  
  
Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.  
  
Chapter 5: Discovering Lucidare  
  
Sooty and strung out, the foursome individually pranced out of the fireplace and into the Entrance Hall.  
  
"I'm not a git!" Ron whined to Hermione, but she didn't seem to care.  
  
The sight of Hogwarts had caught Hermione's eye and she was swept away. She had roamed through these halls only two years ago but seeing it again was still a breath of fresh air.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ron." Hermione muttered, not even paying attention to her words. By then, he seemed to have caught himself in the school's magic and could only nod and he observed the room happily.  
  
"So," A voice interrupted their daze. Hermione recognized it as Harry. "Hermione, you know best where the library is. Lead the way."  
  
"Perhaps we should see Dumbledore first." Hermione suggested, her voice still a bit breathy.  
  
"There will be no need for that, Miss Granger, as he already knows that you've arrived." A strong, solid voice said from the staircase of the Entrance Hall. The young adults immediately whirled around to face the friendly tone of Albus Dumbledore.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore!" Ginny called out, smiling insanely. She walked over and quickly hugged her old Headmaster. The old man with the half-moon spectacles looked shocked for a moment before relaxing and gently hugging her back.  
  
Dumbledore had put his full trust in Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. His help was perhaps the only reason why they survive through the war. This had given them an even deeper respect for him, but it also helped them mark themselves as Dumbledore's equal.  
  
When Ginny backed away, blushing furiously, the trio gave their greetings to the Professor in a much calmer fashion.  
  
"I heard word of your engagement." Dumbledore said to Harry, smiling graciously. He then took Ginny's left hand and surveyed the ring. "Congratulations, about the engagement and the child, of course."  
  
"How did you know?" Ginny asked curiously.  
  
"Words travels around the Ministry of Magic quite quickly, Mrs. Potter." Dumbledore said with a wink. Ginny blushed once again when she heard him call her 'Mrs. Potter.'  
  
The headmaster turned to Hermione and Ron. "Congratulations to you two as well."  
  
Ron pulled an indescribable face. "For what, exactly?" The old man chuckled. "Your engagement, of course! I heard that you two may be marrying!"  
  
There was uncomfortable silence before Hermione let out an unsettled laugh. "Oh professor, Ron and I aren't engaged! Ron might be getting married soon, but we're hoping to avoid that."  
  
"See, Professor. There's this curse." Ron began, but Dumbledore put up a hand to silence him.  
  
"I knew that you came here with a purpose. Actually, three purposes, I believe." Dumbledore said, glancing over at Harry and Ginny who were whispering quickly and excitedly.  
  
"Well, I only came here to break this bloody curse." Ron grumbled. Hermione nodded in agreement.  
  
"Ginny and I were actually wondering if we could also look around the grounds, for a place to hold the wedding." Harry was surprised to see Ron and Hermione turned around in shock.  
  
"And I was hoping to see Madam Pomfrey about the baby." Ginny said, causing Harry to also look in surprise. It was apparent that they hadn't discussed plans thoroughly before arriving.  
  
"I think Harry and Ginny should worry about the wedding and the baby, and Ron and I will research." Hermione said, grabbing Ron firmly by the arm and starting up the stairs. "No time to waste!"  
  
"It's funny that Dumbledore thought we were engaged, isn't it?" Ron said uneasily minutes later as they shuffled through books in the library's restricted section.  
  
"Yeah, that was awfully strange of him." Hermione replied, a bit too preoccupied by her books to truly discuss the subject.  
  
"I mean, why would you marry a guy like me?" This caused them both to pause for a second and take a deep breath. Hermione put her back to the bookcase as close to Ron as she could get.  
  
"Why wouldn't I marry a guy like you?" Hermione tried to keep her voice smooth and sultry, but it shook a little as she talked.  
  
She waited anxiously for his answer, but as if by some miracle, Ronald Weasley stood speechless for once in his life. Blue eyes bore into brown. Hermione trembled in the silent intensity and placed her hand on the book behind her to steady herself.  
  
Just as everything seemed to come together, that single touch of a book made it all fall apart. Pain shot viciously through Hermione's hand as she involuntarily clutched the spine of the book. It crawled up her arm and throughout her body until her blood boiled and the pain was unbearable.  
  
Hermione fell to the floor with the book still tight in her hand. She could hear Ron calling her name, but it all seemed so distant.  
  
Then her eyes rolled back and a vision hit her like a pile of bricks. Ron stood on the Hogwarts grounds in a tuxedo with Harry. He was smiling, but there was a glint of disappointment in his eye. The area was covered in snow and ice, but she felt pleasant warmth in the air.  
  
The view suddenly shifted downwards until she was staring at a bouquet of white roses grasped firmly in perfectly manicured hands. On the left hand, there was no ring, but a glowing circle where the ring should be placed.  
  
The bright, perfectly balanced colors began to blur in a whirlwind. She came back into her body, taking a long deep gasp. She felt a flood of emotion crash over her as she looked wide-eyed at Ron, but then lost herself within it and went limp.  
  
"C'mon, Hermione. Wake up!" Hermione could hear a voice saying. It seemed far away at first but rapidly got closer.  
  
"Wake up!" The voice called again, but this time it was practically screaming in her ear.  
  
Hermione jumped upright in the hospital bed, but fell backwards again after hitting something very solid.  
  
"Jesus H. Christ!" Ron yelled out. Hermione's eyes fluttered open to see him with a hand over his face. Blood slowly oozed down his fingers. Apparently, the solid object her head had crashed into was Ron's nose.  
  
"Mr. Weasley!" Madam Pomfrey called out sharply. She walked over to scold him for his language, but stopped when she saw Hermione wake and alert.  
  
"Oh! Miss Granger! You're awake!" The nurse shuffled out of sight again and came back with a wavy glass bottle filled with a vile looking pink potion.  
  
"That is, if Miss Granger is still your name." Madam Pomfrey looked back and forth between Ron and Hermione then smiled.  
  
"Yes, I'm still unmarried. Not even dating anyone, for that matter." Wow, she felt ridiculous saying that. However, she felt it necessary for her old school nurse to know that nothing was going to between her and Ron. Why did everyone think that?  
  
"Ron's still bleeding, you know!" A rough male voice called out from behind them. Madam Pomfrey shushed him, then turned around to stop the bleeding with a quick flick of her wand.  
  
"Well, Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley told me you had a bit of trouble in the library." She poured the odd pink potion into a small cup. "This should help."  
  
Hermione reluctantly took the cup, grimacing at the rancid fumes it produced. She pinched her nose together with two fingers, and put the potion to her lips at a painstakingly slow pace. The potion went down her throat surprisingly smoothly, but it left a bitter aftertaste.  
  
"You'll be fine now. I have to get back to Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley now."  
  
When Madam Pomfrey left, Hermione's attentions went back to Ron. "Harry and Ginny are here already? I thought they had to scope out the grounds first."  
  
"They did already, Hermione." Ron told her in a soothing voice that people would usually only use with small, panicking children. "You've been out for hours."  
  
She tried to recall exactly what had happened, exactly how she felt, but all she remembered was her inexplicable vision. "What happened?"  
  
Ron reached down on the floor before seating himself on the side of her bed. He held up the book from the restricted section of the library in his hand. "I dunno. You touched this and just started to have this fit. I got it out of yours hands, and then you just passed out."  
  
"Can I see it?" Hermione asked curiously. She reached for the book, but Ron leapt up out of her hand before she got to it.  
  
"No!" He shouted. "There's no way you're going to touch this and start seizing again!"  
  
Hermione, who felt better after the potion began to take effect, promptly got out of bed and snatched the book from his hands. Nothing happened.  
  
Ignoring her own fear, Hermione looked over at Ron. "Oh, don't be a baby."  
  
She sat with the book on her lap for a few moments, unsure of what would happen if she opened it. Maybe it would be best if she didn't open it. Maybe Ron should. Yes, Ron should open it. He was cursed anyway, so it couldn't get much worse, now could it?  
  
"Ron, I need you to open this book to a random page." "Why?" "It's woman's intuition." She lied. "Just open it."  
  
Ron let out a long breath of air before taking the book back. He opened the book lazily, but his eyes bugged out of his head when he looked down at the page.  
  
"Look at this, Hermione! Curse Guardians!" He chuckled in a triumphant manner. "Your woman's intuition blubber might've caught on to something!"  
  
Hermione smiled innocently. She knew she should probably tell Ron that it was not her true intuition at all, but a stroke of his own luck, but why ruin the fun?  
  
Ron began to read the context of the book. "In the case of most Life and Death Curses, the cursed person or group of persons is assigned a guardian. The identity of each generation's guardian is passed down from the elder generation's guardian, but in some ancient curses, the identities have been lost through death or other obstacles."  
  
He sunk back next to Hermione on her bed. "But we already know the guardian's identity has been lost!"  
  
"Shut up and keep reading!" Hermione said, not willing to give up just yet. The page was crammed with sentences, and Ron had only read the first few.  
  
He skimmed down the page "This part's just a bunch of rubbish about how nobody knows the power of a guardians, because all their powers are different, apparently. That's lots of help." He began to squint at the beginning of a paragraph near the end of the page. "This might be something!"  
  
"A guardian can only be revealed when the cursed or one of the cursed touches the Lucidare Crystal, an ancient artifact that was rumored to have been buried in the tomb of King Tut."  
  
"You know what that means, right?" Hermione said, taking the book out of Ron's hands and shutting it.  
  
Ron nodded continuously before slowly stopping and saying "No, not really. What does it mean?"  
  
"It means that we have to find that stone and the Weasley family guardian before Ginny has that baby."  
  
"I know that, Hermione, but that stone could be anywhere!" Ron said.  
  
Hermione shook her head, laughing. "Ron, where is King Tut's tomb?"  
  
Ron thought hard for a second. "The desert?"  
  
Hermione let out a grunt. "Let's try this again! What does your brother Bill work in?"  
  
"Tombs." Ron replied obviously. Hermione nodded along. "Now what country does he work in?"  
  
"Egypt." "Good! So where are we going?" "Egypt?" "Exactly!"  
  
Ron sighed. "When we get home I'll have to owl Bill and see if he can get the four of us a place to stay."  
  
It was at that moment that the curtain in the middle of the room pulled back. Harry stood curiously on the other side.  
  
"The four of us?" Harry said as if it was the most radical idea he'd ever heard. Ginny was slowly getting out of the bed behind Harry. "Ginny can't apparate to Egypt! She's two months pregnant!"  
  
"Two months?" Ron growled at Harry. He pointed his finger back and forth between Harry and Ginny. "This new.. activity of yours.. has been going on for at least two months?!"  
  
Ginny decided it was her turn to be smug with him. "Actually Ronald, it's been going on for about six months."  
  
"OH GOD! I didn't really need to know that, Ginevra!"  
  
While everyone else seemed amused, Hermione was quiet and concerned.  
  
"We've got less time than I thought." She whispered.  
  
"The baby's due the first week of March." Harry informed her. "So, Ginny and I should at least be married by the third week in February, just in case."  
  
They all gave quiet words of agreement. Hermione got out of the hospital bed, leaving the mystical book behind.  
  
"Let's go home." She suggested to the others. "We've got tons of planning to do."  
  
Ron raised an eyebrow at her. "So we're still going?"  
  
"Well, you're one of the cursed, so if you touch the crystal, it should reveal the guardian." Hermione said, straightening out her clothes and pushing a brown lock of frizzy hair behind her ear.  
  
"Gee, thanks for reminding me!" Ron's voice was bitter and sarcastic. Harry and Ginny could be heard sniggering in the background as Ron and Hermione went back and forth, but Ron and Hermione had learned the subtle art of ignoring the lovebirds.  
  
It took a walk back to the Great Hall for him to recover. He looked up at Hermione, defeat shining through his eyes.  
  
"So we're going to Egypt, then?"  
  
"Yes Ron, just me and you."  
  
So what do you think of that chapter? Better than the last? Is the Egypt idea too far out there? I'd love to hear any constructive input you may have! 


	6. Walk Like An Egyptian

I would like to start my author's note off with this: I AM SO SORRY! I realize that I haven't updated in over a month, and that could be a bit of a disappointment for my readers. Let me at least explain myself. Shortly after my last update, I got a full-time summer job. After that I had a horrendous break-up. Add on to that summer school work and what I like to call "college shopping," I haven't cared that much about writing. However, I tried to make this chapter extra special for you all! I hope you like it! And oh yes- the chapter title is blatantly stolen from the Bangles.

Cariel- Oh, the banter is my favorite part to write!

Ludicity- Slow, sweet and torturous. That's my writing style this time, but Egypt may be a treat for us all!

A.M. Lehr- I can't wait to see where I take it either, lol! Generally, I have an idea for the beginning and the end; then I just make up the middle as I go along.

Ingenious- I worship making Ron squirm. When you write about characters, you get the visuals in your head of their reactions, and Ron's reactions are definitely the most amusing!

SassyChick12- I'm continuing! WOOT!

Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.  
  
Chapter 6: Walk Like An Egyptian

Bill had been very helpful in assisting Ron and Hermione on planning their trip to Egypt. However, they had only been out of school for two years and their Gringotts vaults weren't exactly full. Ron and Hermione had to work tirelessly for two months at their respective workplaces before they could afford to search their desert destination.

Their luggage was tucked neatly in the corner of the fireplace of the Burrow. Ron rubbed his hands next to the fire before picking up the Floo Powder. Hermione was still saying her last good-byes to the Weasley family.

She gave Ginny a tight hug and a quick pat on the tummy. The baby wasn't causing Ginny's stomach to bulge just yet, but it was slightly bigger than it was months ago when they decided to get on the journey.

"So, we're going straight to the hotel then?" Ron said. He pinched a bit of floo powder between his thumb and forefinger like a cook would salt.

Hermione ripped the floo powder out of his hand. "Ron! We have to go to the International Floo Headquarters before we can get to Egypt! Haven't you traveled before?"

"Of course I have!" Ron said defiantly. "..Just not since third year."

Hermione just sighed heavily and took a bit of the white powder. She cut in front of Ron and threw at in the fire. The flames flew up in an emerald rage. She pulled him into the very cramped fireplace next to her. "International Floo Headquarters!"

Travelling in the fireplace together may not have been Hermione's smartest ideas, because they landed in Floo Headquarters covered in ashes on the floor. They shot out of the fireplace so quickly that Hermione was flipped on top of Ron on the ground.

By the time she realized their position, Ron was already chuckling to himself. "Don't you think it'd be best to take me out for dinner before we did this, 'Mione?"

"Oh, sod off!" Hermione's face had contorted into an angry grimace. She rolled herself off of him before heading back to the fireplace to retrieve her luggage. She didn't know just how she'd survive life in a foreign country with nobody but Ronald Weasley for an indefinite amount of time.

Ron quickly followed suit and claimed his luggage. He practically had to run to keep up with Hermione, who had walked off without him in a furious huff.

Hermione had traveled often with her month long public speaking tour against the thoughts and ideals of pureblood supremacy after the fall of the Dark Lord, so she was quite familiar with the premises. She ambled over to a large brown desk and handed her luggage to the man on the other side.

"Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. Cairo, Egypt." Said told the man as Ron gave over his luggage.

The man gave a quick nod. He muttered a spell quietly, and information on Hermione Granger magically projected from his wand. There was also an image of her where she stood, twiddling her thumbs impatiently. When the man seemed satisfied, he did the spell to look up Ronald Weasley's information.

He then marked the suitcases with a small pyramid at the top. "Fireplace 32." He said with a thick accent, speaking for the first time.

Their luggage was shifted back over the counter. Ron picked his up with ease, but in her moments of frustration, Hermione was losing grip on her possessions.

"Do you need any help?" Ron was quite amused by her failure to keep hold of anything, but tried to keep a straight face.

"No, Ronald! If I wanted your help, I would have asked for it!" She grumbled back, attempting to hoist a large knapsack over her shoulder. It was too heavy for her arm to support, and thus tumbled to the ground with a loud clatter. Hermione let out a pitiful moan of defeat.

"Ron.." she whined out, pointing to the bag on the ground. His cocky grin returned once again as he threw it over his shoulder and strutted off to Fireplace 32.

Once every last piece of luggage found its niche in the corner of the fireplace, Ron and Hermione stuffed themselves inside. Hermione had the floo powder in her hand, yet she was hesitant.

"I think we should stay connected." Her voice sounded a bit panicked. "Connected?" "So we don't fly out of here like last time!"

Ron laughed heartily, his blue eyes staring down at her slightly distorted face. "How exactly do you plan on 'connecting' to me, then?"

She opened her mouth to explain, but gave up trying. Instead, Hermione wrapped her arms around his middle and mumbled, "Don't even say it, you great big prat!"

A bit aghast, Ron held back his comments and snaked his arm around her shoulders, trying to hold back all innuendoes of amusement in his voice. "Fine. You know where we're going. Get us there."

A bright green flame licked at his face only seconds later and he heard a voice call out "The Nile Estates!"

When the tugging on their insides subsided, Ron and Hermione landed in a white fireplace, barely landing properly. Their luggage spurted out of the fire at a high speed, sending a man with long, red-hair ducking for cover.

"Merlin!" Bill Weasley shouted from his position, sprawled out across the floor. "I've never had a suitcase try to murder me before."

Hermione could see Ron's icy eyes warm up when he spoke to his brother who he didn't seen in the flesh for years. "There's a first time for everything, brother."

Bill, who had returned to Egypt after the defeat of Voldemort to continue his career as a curse breaker, picked himself up off of the floor and wiped the dirt of his rather tight jeans. He turned himself toward the fireplace to see Ron and Hermione still holding on to each other loosely.

"You two are together now? Excellent!" Bill said, his rusty locks shivered as he snickered. He hadn't noticed the other two practically jump away from each other and out of the fireplace at his words. They both walked over and hugged him as he continued to talk. "Well, that helps this situation, because otherwise I think you two would have hated me otherwise."

"Bill!" Hermione said, pulling away from the embrace. "Ron and I aren't together. We just didn't want to be chucked out of the fire."

The look on Bill's face suggested that someone had just threatened to cut his hair. "You two are going to hate me."

Ron didn't know what was going on, but he knew this couldn't be good. "What did you do?"

Instead of answering, Bill hurried over to the front desk. "Reservation for Ronald Weasley."

The desk clerk handed over the key without a worry in the world. Bill motioned for them to follow him as he made his way through the rather dingy hotel.

"Is this about Ron and I sharing a room?" Hermione inquired. "Because we live in the same house. The same room shouldn't be a big deal."

Bill bit his lip, as if he were trying to decide if her answer would cover it. "Well, sort of." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

His answer only left Hermione and Ron more confused than when his stuttering and mumbling had first begun. They exchanged an unbalanced look of uncertainty, still following Bill's rapid pace.

They reached the hotel room in record time and Bill handed the key to Ron. Giving his brother another baffled glance, Ron unlocked the door and threw it open. He stepped in, quickly followed by Hermione. They both searched for the cause of Bill's anxiety. Ron thought everything was fine, until-

"Hey Bill, why is there only one bed in this room?" Hermione piped, her voice sounding a little strained.

They both pivoted around to shoot a glare at the eldest Weasley. Bill still stood in the doorway, gripping the side as if his life depended on it.

"Well, you didn't have enough funds to afford a room with two beds, so I got you a room with only one. Thing is, hotel policy doesn't allow an unmarried witch and wizard to share a bed, so I fibbed a bit and told them that you were hitched."

Bill stopped and looked back at them. He could almost see their blood boiling. "However, I have work in the morning, and I'm sure you'd both like a good night's sleep. I'll catch up with you tomorrow! Bye now!"

With that, the door was shut and a soft _POP!_ was heard from the other side.

Ron and Hermione both stood in place, looking flabbergasted. It took a moment for either of them to move. It was Ron who did so first, sitting down on the bed before saying, "I get the right side."

"No!" Hermione shouted. "You get the floor!"

"What? Is my wife mad at me because my brother is an idiot? This isn't my fault, Hermione!" He was angry that she was trying to kick him onto the floor, but at the same time, he couldn't help but find the situation amusing.

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks. Did Ron just call her his wife? Of course he did. He'd have to for the rest of their stay in Egypt. She shouldn't have been thrown in shock by it. It was just a little act so that they didn't get thrown out of the hotel, after all.

Too thrown off by her separate train of thought to argue now. "Whatever to say, Weasley, but if you snore, I'm hexing you to oblivion."

Ron threw himself onto his side of the bed. "I'm hungry." He reached over to the bedside table and pulled the room service menu out of the drawer.

"Look, Hermione! They even labeled it for us. Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Weasley." He turned the menu around to show her the large black print on the corner of the menu.

Hermione sat down and put her head in her hands. "Just order me a martini, will you?"

"Okay, Mrs. Weasley." Ron continued to nag. "Hermione Weasley, or would that be Hermione Granger-Weasley?"

"What are you rambling about?" Hermione said, lying down on the left side of the bed. She was careful to make sure that she wasn't touching Ron.

"Say if you married Harry, would you hyphenate your name? Hermione Granger-Potter?" They both stared at the snow white ceiling as they conversed.

"That's highly improbable, as Harry's marrying your sister."

"Fine then. What if you were to marry one of my brothers? Would you be Hermione Granger-Weasley?"

"I wouldn't marry one of your brothers, Ron." Hermione said, shaking her head against the pillow.

Ron propped himself up on one shoulder and stared down at her. "Hey! It's hypothetical! Would you rather hypothetically marry Malfoy?"

"One of your brothers it is, then!" Hermione laughed, her eyes widening at the mere thought of being close to Draco Malfoy. "And no, I wouldn't keep my last name or hyphenate it. Your family doesn't have an embarrassing last name, so I could handle it."

Ron snorted. How could say his last name wasn't embarrassing. It practically had the word 'weasel' built right in.

"Oh and Ron, order our food now. It's getting late." It was just like Hermione to mother her best friend.

It took only seconds for the food to arrive after it was ordered. The room service at the Nile Estates was quite similar to the presentation of meals at Hogwarts. They ate in silence, as the day had been quite exhausting. Soon the plates were cleared and an awkward silence loomed over them.

Hermione sat, reading in her pajamas next to the small table in the corner of the room. Ron was attempting to do a folding charm on his dirty clothes, but it didn't want to work for him.

Finally giving up, he sat down and asked a question that he was wondering about all day. "Hey Hermione, how did they get that image of us where we stood down at the Floo Headquarters?"

"It's actually a really simple spell!" Hermione said excitedly, throwing down her book and fishing in her luggage for her wand. Finally she pulled it out.

"Tempus Ronald Weasley!" Hermione called out, and the same type of bubble appeared it the tip of her wand as it had out of the custom officer's wand earlier that evening.

Inside the bubble, Ron could see himself moving around on the bed. He waved at the bubble and it waved back at the same time. He ran across the room, and the picture in the bubble kept a frontal view as he did it.

"That's wicked!' He muttered to Hermione as she ended the spell. She looked rather smug, having known that she'd impressed Ron.

"All you do is say 'Tempus' and then the person's name." Hermione said, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. "You could check up on everyone at home that way, too."

Ron nodded. It was like she'd read his mind. That was exactly why he wanted to know in the first place.

Raising his wand into the air, Ron sucked in a deep breath and called out "Tempus Harry Potter!"

They watched the bubble as it showed Harry climb into bed next to Ginny Weasley, whom was already fast asleep. Harry lay down, draping one hand over her with a look of mixed hope and sadness filling his features. Idly, he rubbed his hand over Ginny's stomach. She stirred but did not awaken. After several moments, Harry put his head into the pillow and began attempting sleep.

Ron ended the spell with a depressed look dawned on his face. It was bittersweet to see Harry and Ginny together, because they couldn't be married like they wanted to be unless Ron did something about it.

Without Hermione's permission, Ron shut off all the lights in the hotel room and began shuffling into his nighttime clothes.

"Let's go to bed. We have to get up early tomorrow." He put his wand on his bedside and crawled under the covers. He felt the sheets blow up as Hermione made her way into bed and sunk down beside him.

"Goodnight, Mr. Weasley." Hermione giggled in an adorable whisper.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Weasley."

The Egyptian sun hit Hermione in the eye the next morning, reluctantly waking her from slumber. Her mind was a serene ocean as she lay in bed, enjoying the cool morning. All she could feel was the soft bed, the fluffy pillow, and the muscular arm draped over her body. Wait! Why was there an arm on her?

She forced her eyes open to see nothing but red hair and freckles. The memories of the night before flooded through her brain, and soon she regained her mental composure.

The bed seemed to have sunk into the middle, because Hermione and Ron were only inches apart. Hermione examined his pale, freckled face as he slept. She moved back a little to get a better glimpse as his messy red hair and broad that led down to his naked chest. Wait! What happened to his shirt?

She swiftly lifted to covers and jumped up. "Ron!"

Ron leapt in bed, protectively grabbing Hermione in one arm and taking his wand with his other hand. "What is it?" he said, eyes darting around the room.

"Why are you sleeping in your underwear?!"

Ron gave Hermione a look of disbelief. He couldn't believe she'd woken him up just for that.

"They're boxer shorts, Hermione." He told her. Still, she came back with the same rigid reply. "They're underwear!"

"This is what I sleep in!" Ron grunted. Feeling daring, he threw the covers off him and jumped out of the bed to show off his boxer shorts. Hermione quickly hid her head under the covers, but giggled loud enough that Ron knew she wasn't offended.

"C'mon! Let's get up and get ready then!" Ron said, yanking at the sheets.

Hermione kept the blankets firmly over her head. "I'll get ready as soon as you put some more clothes on!"

About an hour later, the two found themselves faced with a rather nervous looking Bill Weasley once again. They announced that they wouldn't kill him because of the dire circumstances, but they still gave him glares that could turn most to stone.

The Gringotts bank in Cairo was a bit larger than the one in London. Instead of underground passages, the bank was built with maze-like hallways. However, they still had the infamous carts that led to each destination.

Bill ambled into a cart, whispering to the goblin in front before motioning for Ron and Hermione to join them. "Brace yourself!" he warned before the cart went off into the maze at a lightning fast speed. Neither Ron nor Hermione could keep track of the cart's erratic pattern.

It came to a sharp halt in front of a large, golden door. With a flick of his wand, Bill opened the door and shoved the other two inside.

Hermione let out an audible gasp at the sight. The high-ceiling room was filled with mountains of gold and gems and jewels. Strange symbols covered the ancient stone floor and ceiling.

"This room contains all the unidentified treasures we've found in the tombs that contain a magical aura. If your crystal has been discovered already, it's in here."

"But this place is gigantic!" Ron groaned with a bit of a whimper audible in his voice. "This will take weeks! Maybe more!"

"Then you better get started." Bill said, his tone a little bit more serious than before. The whole Weasley family was worried about the well being of both Ron and Ginny, and Bill was no exception.

He bid them goodbye once again and hopped back into the Gringotts cart. After all, he still had to work.

Ron looked quite intimidated when he turned toward the piles upon piles of crystals alone. "How exactly are we going to figure out which crystal is the Lucidare?"

"Well, you're the cursed. So, if you touch the right crystal, there should be some kind of magical reaction." Hermione said in a calm, cool, and collected voice even though she didn't know if her hypothesis was correct.

"I have to touch every crystal in this abomination?" "Yes, Ronald." He let out another sound of discontentment. "Let's get to it."

Ron and Hermione spent several hours searching. Hermione had the grueling task of crawling up the mountains of crystal to flatten it down. It was like hiking for ages. Ron's hands were blistered from digging through the sharp, rough crystal.

Disgruntled and thoroughly tired, Ron and Hermione stood outside the doorway until their cart came.

Entering the hotel once again, Ron's disposition had changed.

"At least we don't have to search for the crystal ourselves." His voice was surprisingly light and optimistic.

As if Ron's smile was infectious, Hermione flashed a grin at him. "That may have been easier."

She opened the door to their hotel before Ron had a chance to answer. At the sight in front of them, they stopped dead in their tracks.

A silvery mist floated just above the bed. Even in an average wizarding hotel, this was not normal. The mist slithered around the room eerily slow.

Carefully, Hermione raised her wand. The mist seemed to notice their presence and came to a rapid halt. All was still for a moment. Then a sharp red light jet through the steely mist. When it reached the end, a violent crimson light exploded throughout the room.

When it was safe to open his eyes, Ron found himself safe in the doorway with Hermione clinging to his torso. He ran a shaking hand through her bushy brown hair and averted his eyes to the room.

The mist was gone. Ron and Hermione were fine, but that much couldn't be said for the rest of the hotel room. Chairs and tables were flipped over. Luggage burst and clothes were spurted across the floor.

Hermione pushed herself out of Ron's grip and entered the room to observe the damage more thoroughly.

"All I know is that something really doesn't want us to be here."


	7. Impeccable Timing

Thank you for all being so great after the huge gap between chapters last time! I'm very grateful that I have such faithful reviewers! All you reviews kept me pumped up, so I had no problem writing this chapter. I hope you like it!

Lucidity- One of your questions will be answers will be answered in this chapter. As for the other, you'll find out soon!

Emma- Well, I did the whole Ronald thing because I have a friend named Ron, and I call him Ronald when he aggravates me. It seemed like something Hermione would do to me. I'm glad you like the story, anyway.

Ingenious- Nope, but that's a nice guess! You figure out what it is if you just keep on reading!

Adipodes Poe- Honestly, I've read Wedded Bliss, and I don't see the resemblance. Then again, that's probably because I know where the plot is going to end! You'll see yourself soon!

Luka-black- I can't get into too much detail, but you had the same type of idea I did, so keep reading!

Angel and Devil- My story elicits happy dances? YAY! Thank you!

Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.  
  
Chapter 7: Impeccable Timing

Ron grunted as he threw the last crystal he could stand but into the pile. He had been in Egypt for two weeks with Hermione, but they'd had no luck. None of the crystals had a magical reaction to Ron's touch.

Lucky for them, Hermione had found a charm that turned every crystal Ron touched red so they weren't going through the same piles twice. Large piles of red stood next to a smaller pile of white, but Ron couldn't continue today.

Hermione had found a magical library in downtown Cairo, and after whipping up a few quick translation spells, she began searching for information about the mist that had invaded their hotel room. It never returned to bother them again, but they certainly didn't feel safe.

The large metal vault door shut with an odd squelching noise as the cart took off through the Egyptian maze out into Gringotts main lobby. His white T-shirt was soaked with sweat from the swelter temperatures under the sun was he walked towards the door, too tired to apparate back to the hotel room.

However, a voice stopped him before he managed to leave. "Where's your wife today, Ron?"

He turned back to Bill, who had entered through a side corridor with an all-knowing smile on his face. "She's at the library. We had a little trouble earlier last week, so she's doing what she doesn't best and looking it up."

"Trouble?" Bill repeated, his facial expression converting from amusement to concern. "What kind of trouble?"

"Oh, I dunno! Tell me, is it normal to find silver blobs that blow apart room in Egypt?"

"Blobs?"

"Yeah, big glittery blobs!"

Bill scratched his head in deep thought for a moment. "Well, when you put it that way.. I don't think it's normal for there to be big glittery silver blobs anywhere."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the information, but I've got to get back to the hotel room. I'm knackered." With a quick goodbye to his brother, Ron exited the building he was being to hate and ambled back to the hotel room.

After thoroughly searching the hotel room for any oddities, a habit he'd developed over the past week, Ron threw himself back onto the bed. He began to wonder what was taking Hermione so long to return from the library. Sure, she was known to spend ages there, but he couldn't help but be a little worried.

Yanking his wand out of his pants pocket, he pointed it toward the ceiling. "Tempus Hermione Granger."

A bubble erupted from his wand and there she sat at a little desk, tucking a lock of her behind her ear as she read the text in front of her. A little yawn escaped her lips, but she still looked determined to finish the page.

Ron felt a little guilty, staring at the bubble. He felt like he was really invading her privacy, yet he couldn't help but stare at her. What was it about her that made him stare?

His thoughts were blurred when Hermione seemed to notice something. She leaned in towards the book, reading at a rapid pace before slamming the book shut and cramming it back into place on the shelf. Ron continued to watch as she hurried out the door of the library. Then he lowered his wand and watched the bubble pop.

Figuring that Hermione wouldn't want to come back and find a sweaty man sprawled in the bed, Ron went into the bathroom, stripped away all his clothes, and stepped into the shower.

When Ron was finished, he reached for a towel on the counter, but it wasn't there. His upper body poked out from behind the shower curtain, but there were still no towels on the counter. Hermione must've used the last one that morning before going off to the library.

The problem with hotels was that there were never enough towels. He exited the shower in the buff, dripping wet from head to toe. Dying himself off with his dirty, sweat-covered shirt or his rough jeans just weren't an option in his mind.

Then he remembered that there were two extra towels in the closet by the door to the hotel. All he had to do was walk across the room and grab one. His shower was relatively fast, so he was sure Hermione wouldn't be back by quite yet.

His head went out the bathroom door before the rest of his body to check around the room. As he suspected, Hermione wasn't back from the library.

Swiftly opening the door, he stepped into the room in his birthday suit. He was strolling to the closet when something in the corner of the room caught his eye.

A steel mist floated perfectly still in the corner. It was much smaller than the last time he had seen it. Ron's breath hitched. He didn't move. He didn't think. He felt stuck in time. After what felt like an eternity, Ron picked his wand up off the bed and pointed it at the blob.

He didn't know exactly what to do. Would spells effect this thing? Would they bounce back? Was the mist able to kill him if he harmed it? No matter what, he had to do something.

He opened his mouth to call out an incantation, but at the same time the hotel door opened. The mist disappeared without changing color, but Hermione's face wore about eight different shades of red as he studied Ron standing in all his naked glory in the middle of the room.

"RON! What are you doing?" Hermione yelled through the opened door.

Behind her, a band of young teenage Egyptian girls passing by got a glimpse into the room as well. They stood for a second, startled by the sight. Before anyone could reaction, the girls practically ran down the hallway, their gasps and giggles filling the air.

Without even covering himself up, Ron walked over to Hermione, yanked her into the room and shut the door. He then hurried over to the closet and pulled a towel out.

"We ran out of towels in the bathroom and I was going to get one from the closet. I must say you have impeccable timing!" The towel was now covering the important parts of Ron's body, but Hermione was a bit excited to find that he blushed _everywhere_ when embarrassed.

"How exactly does that require you to stand in the room pointing your wand in the air? Who do you think you are? The magical version of Superman?"

"Who?"

"Nevermind."

"Hermione! That thing was back! The mist was back! It was in the corner, but when you opened the door it disappeared! No red flashes or anything!" Ron tried to explain to the best of his ability, but he was still in a bit of shock.

"The Peregrinus."

"The what?" Ron asked, looking utterly confused.

"It's called a Peregrinus. It's the signal that a curse upon you is about to take effect."

Ron sat down on the bed with nothing but a fluffy white towel wrapped loosely around his waist. It made a lot of sense now. It didn't harm him because it knew that the curse would be doing that sooner or later.

One thought laid stuck in his mind. "But why did it throw that red light out at us last time?"

"Well," Hermione sighed, "It only does that when it's threatened. Since it didn't flash this time, I must threaten it, because it wasn't threatened by you or any _part_ of you."

"Maybe it's threatened by us being together." Ron suggested, patting the bed next to him as a signal for Hermione to sit down.

It took him a minute to register Hermione's comments about his parts, but when it finally did he came back with a usual witty reply. "It should have been threatened by my parts! I'm sure you can agree now that you've got a glimpse of them!"

"Okay, Superman."

"What are you going on about?"

"Nothing, Ron."

"There's something else, 'Mione. It was much smaller than the last time." Ron said, trying his best to remember the short encounter.

A wicked smile played on Hermione's lips. "Your parts or the Peregrinus?"

"The Pere-what's-it!" Ron retorted, looking a bit defeated.

Hermione lay back on the bed where she sat next to him. "Well, the book I found didn't say anything about it keeping a constant size or shape. Maybe it changes from time to time."

"My parts or the Peregrinus?" Ron shot back in an aggravated, mocking tone. He lay back on the bed right to her, both of their legs hanging off the edge.

"Well, you are lying down in nothing but a towel next to me, so your parts could be getting a little bigger." Hermione giggled in response.

"That's one hell of a thing to assume." Ron propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at her. Her bushy brown hair was fanned across the bed. Her petite body was just inches away from his more muscular one. Something was coming over him that he just couldn't explain.

Hermione's chocolate eyes moved slowly from his face down his chest, down to the towel at his waist. "Well, with the bulge under that towel, it's a pretty easy assumption to make."

"I should go get ready." Ron's entire body blushed red again. He started to lift himself up off the bed, but a petite hand held him down.

She spoke the words he'd wanted to hear from ages. "No! Please don't go."

Ron turned bed to face Hermione. He could see the hunger in her eyes. Everything that she'd been hiding from him for ages shone through.

Without any warning, his lips crashed down upon hers, his tongue snaking into her mouth as he held himself up over her. This was not a kiss of love. It was a kiss of pure passion. It held all the emotions they had both held back since 4th year at Hogwarts.

The buttons on Hermione's blouse popped off and it soon left her body. Her hands crept down around his waist and Ron felt the towel being tugged out from under him.

By now her bra was gone and Ron shoved her skirt up around her waist, their little gasps and sighs filling the room. Neither of them could believe that this was happening. It had taken too long, but they'd make up for it all tonight.

It was dusk when Ron woke up again. After such passion, he and Hermione were both very tired and slept peacefully. She was still in his arms, captured by the world of dreams.

As he looked upon her, a sudden wave of panic hit him. What was he getting himself into? What was he getting her in to? He knew very well that in a matter of months, he could be dead.

That is, unless he married someone. At this point in time, Hermione seemed like the best choice. She had been for ages. But Ron knew in his heart that he wasn't ready for a marriage like that. He wasn't quite romantic, but if he were to many a girl, he wanted to win her over properly first.

Just when the thoughts almost become too much for him, the pair of brown eyes he was looking down at fluttered open, returning his eyes.

Ron couldn't find the words to say, so he clumsily mumbled "Thank you."

"No, thank you." He received as a reply from Hermione.

More silence followed, but it wasn't awkward. It was an indescribable connection that held them in place. Suddenly nothing else mattered.

It was Hermione that broke the silence. "We should probably get dressed and have some dinner."

"Then dessert?" Ron laughed, waggling his eyebrows.

"You've already had your dessert for today!"

It only took Ron about a minute or two for the couple to dress and order their food. Hermione ate at a little side table by the window, and Ron stayed sprawled out on the bed.

"So, I'm guessing you had no luck at the vault today?" Hermione said as she nibbled at some corn on her plate.

Ron shook his head no. "I would have told you if I did find something. There's barely anything left to look through down there."

Hermione stayed silent for a moment, staring at the floor. "Ron, you know that's all the magical crystals they've found in Egypt. If they don't have it, we have to leave here."

"I know." Ron agreed reluctantly. He didn't want to leave Egypt, nor did Hermione. They were far away from the sadness and troubles of England. They could live without the sunburns, but Egypt was still a nice change.

The rest of the night passed rather slowly. So slow that Ron had exactly convinced Hermione to play three games of Wizards' Chess. He even let her win one of the games. It was a rare occasion, indeed.

When they finally tucked themselves into bed that night, it was different than any other. Ron held out his arms and Hermione willingly wrapped herself in them. It felt so good to have him snuggled up tight against her body.

"I love you, Mrs. Weasley."

There was a short pause during which Ron's heart beat faster than it ever had before.

"I love you too, Mr. Weasley."


	8. Homebound Hearts

A/N: This chapter is brought to you by my left hand, as I have tendentious in my right wrist. It's taken me a while to write this all out, but here it is!

Luka-black- There's a bit more plot stuff going on before we figure out exactly what happens. I would do an outtake, but it wouldn't here on Hopefully, you like the rest of the story anyway.

Isnani- Hahaha I love that you're throwing the characters a party!

Mouskadiddle- The 'parts' thing was my favorite thing to write. I'm a fan of banter! Ron wasn't necessarily bad at describing the Peregrinus.. because that's what it is. A big silvery blob.

Ingenious- I'm hoping I haven't caused you any mental seizures in the time I took in between chapters. Poking at the keys with one finger on my left hand only has made the process rather slow LOL!

Lucidity- Ron is a silly boy, isn't he? He's learned his lesson now, so don't worry! The wooing part is soon to come!

BuckNC – I'm sorry for driving you crazy with my slowness. I'm just a procrastinator who's always like "I'll start it tomorrow. Nobody will care." I'll try and speed it up a bit.

Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.  
  
Chapter 8: Homebound Hearts

A rush of panic ran through Ron and Hermione as the last reddened crystal fell on top of the pile.

"But these are the only magical crystals in Egypt!" Hermione dropped to her knees and began the dig through the pile. "The Lucidare has to be there! It has to!"

The cause was hopeless. Every crystal was red, which indicated that Ron had already touched them and gotten no reaction from them. Two months of searching came down to nothing,

It seemed as if Hermione would break down into tears until two strong, freckly arms rested upon her shoulders. Ron rubbed her shoulders while he spoke. "S'alright 'Mione. We can find it. There still five months left to find it."

Hermione went to correct him, to tell him that it was actually closer to four months, but she didn't care enough to at the moment.

She slowly rose to her feet, turned around, and held Ron in a tight embrace.

It was the most affection they'd shown in a while. Since their spontaneous day of passion, they had significantly calmed their hormones. They still spent many hours snogging in their hotel room, but they had much more important things to do.

They were still rather private. The family knew that something had become of them, since Bill had reported to the family after seeing Ron and Hermione holding hands and hugging around the wizards' bank.

Today was no different. Their hands were woven together from the moment they left the vault at Gringotts until they entered their little hotel room.

Hermione let a long sigh as she fell back on to the bed. Ron went directly to the bar and poured himself a shot. Their thoughts twisted at a rapid pace, but they both remained completely silent.

"Ron," Hermione said, breaking the silence. "You know we have to go back."

"Yeah, I know."

Ron contacted his family by means of a hotel owl to inform them of their lack of results. It was perhaps the hardest letter he'd ever had to write.

Ron finally had his chance to be the hero, and he believed that he had failed.

It was a reluctant goodbye two days later as Ron shared a brotherly embrace with Bill, but it needed to be done. There was no reason for Ron and Hermione to stay in Egypt anymore. They had very little time to waste.

"When you get time off work, you should come visit the family. Mum would be thrilled." Ron told his brother, though rather solemnly. He still wasn't in the best of spirits.

"We'd be thrilled to have you there, as well." Added the bushy haired girl who was now moving forward to give Bill a friendly hug.

Bill nodded in agreement. "I'm going to try to get home before Ginny and Harry have their baby. Perhaps Charlie will come as well."

He didn't elaborate on the statement, but Ron and Hermione knew what Bill meant. He wanted to gather his entire family together as soon as possible, because it might be his last chance to do so.

A tear gathered in Hermione's eye as she pulled back and moved toward the fireplace connected to the floo network, but she quickly blinked at away. Hope wasn't lost just yet.

It took them only a few minutes to get through the customs at the International Floo Headquarters and stumble out of the fireplace at the Burrow.

Speckled in soot and feeling rather nauseous, the pair was glad that they received a warm reception despite the fact that their mission had been unsuccessful.

"Ron! 'Mione!" Harry had been the first to approach them and helped them both up off the floor. The rest of the family was close behind, giving them their greetings.

Ginny was the last to reach Ron and Hermione. Her protruding stomach made it difficult to push through the crowd.

"Your stomach's grown a bit." Ron said, tilting his head to the side.

A slightly emotional look flashed over Ginny's look, but all she replied with was "Might that be because I'm six months pregnant?"

"Come now! I've cooked a lovely dinner, and it's waiting us all in the kitchen!" Mrs. Weasley called out, as if sensing Ginny's hormonal fluctuations.

"That sounds great!" Hermione said quickly. "Let me just change into something a little warmer." After spending two months in Egypt, Hermione had almost forgotten about the bitter cold winters in England. She was rudely reminded of the harsh weather by the still draft in the Burrow.

It took her only a minute or two to change before she joined everyone else for diner.

Ron and Hermione sat down next to each other at the family table with Harry and Ginny at the opposite side. Fred took a seat next to Ron, and George took a seat next to Harry. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat respectively at the two ends of the table.

They shoveled food on to their plates and into their mouths are if they'd never eaten anything quite so delicious before. For Ron and Hermione, it was partially true, as no hotel room service could compare to Mrs. Weasley's cooking.

Mrs. Weasley kept glancing at Ron and Hermione with a coy smile. It wasn't until everything got quiet about halfway through the meal that she finally said what she seemed to be holding back for a while.

"So, Ron, Hermione, Bill tells me that you two have perhaps started dating?"

Ron and Hermione looked from Mrs. Weasley to each other to the table. A blush ran over them both, though Ron's was much more noticeable.

"That's lovely then." Ginny's swift voice chimed in. "Maybe someday Ron will go get Hermione pregnant, then rub it in her face that her stomach looks fat."

"I didn't mean it like that!" Ron growled, but he refrained from speaking any further after Hermione jabbed him in the ribs.

Harry put one hand over Ginny's. "We've been over this! You're not fat, Gin. It's just the baby."

Ginny lifted her hand up, flicking Harry's hand away as if it were a bug. "Don't you give me that, Harry James Potter! I look fat and I know it! Everyone knows it!"

"No, really, you don't." It was Hermione's turn to attempt putting some sense into Ginny. "Since the body growth is only in that one area and the rest of you is pretty slender, people will know that you're expecting a baby. To most people, seeing a woman that's carrying a child only makes the woman far more lovely."

Hermione wasn't too sure how this speech would go over, but Ginny's laughter cleared the tension. "Thank you, 'Mione, love. You're right. It's just a little room for the baby."

"Hey!" Harry grunted in protest. "That's exactly what I said before her!"

"But Hermione said it better than you did."

"URGH!"

George let out a little chuckle. "Apparently, Ginny isn't the only one with hormonal issues."

Harry shot George a heated look of hatred that could have melted ice.

"Anyhow, we have an appointment at St. Mungo's tomorrow." Ginny said to Hermione, patting her belly. "You and Ron should come along, since you've been gone the last few times we went."

Hermione practically jumped up and down in the seat. "That'd be lovely! Wouldn't it Ron?"

Ron, who certainly had his mouth filled to the brim with mashed potatoes, managed to let out a mumbled "Of course!"

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Hermione asked. She been gone so long, that she hadn't been able to ask these questions.

"We don't want to know. It's going to be a surprise." Harry smiled as he said this, but Hermione's face dropped.

It was just like Harry to be spontaneous and keep things surprising, but it conflicted with Hermione's eagerness to always plan ahead of time. How could she buy baby gifts if she didn't even know the gender of the little Potter?

Speaking of gifts, a train of thought ran over Hermione like a pile of bricks.

"Christmas is in three days."

"And you're just realizing this now?" Fred inquired, raising an eyebrow at her.

Hermione tried her best not to feel completely dim, but it didn't work. Way to make a fool out of herself!

"I knew, but it just didn't seem like Christmas in Egypt." She replied, though unconvincingly.

She didn't know why this revelation made her so tense, as she'd already bought everyone's presents months ago. Perhaps it was more of a nervous tension about what she would receive from the others.

"Well, I'm off to bed." Ginny sighed, levitating her plate into the sink. "I've got to be well rested for our appointment tomorrow."

As Hermione sank down into her bed that night, something was missing.

Was it the dry Egyptian air? Or perhaps the perfectly white hotel sheets? No, that wasn't it.

It was the way the bed sunk down next to her. It was the feeling of comfort. It was Ron.

Tossing aside layers of blankets, Hermione lifted herself up out of bed. Her warm feet felt the shock of the cold floor as she began walking across the darkened room.

To a point, Hermione was thankful that Ginny and Harry know shared a room. She could visit Ron without anyone noticing or questioning her intentions.

She tiptoed down the hall until she found herself in front of a door with a sign hanging outside it that said 'Ronald's Room.'

Opening the door just a crack, Hermione peeked in to find a red haired boy lying in bed fully awake. He looked at her with a mixed express of shock and happiness. "Hermione?"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep." Hermione said, letting herself into the room and shutting the door, before walking over to stand next to his bed.

Her watched her shadow in the dark room. "It's okay. I couldn't sleep either."

Hermione sat herself down on the edge of the bed. Ron, getting the hint, moved over and allowed her to lie down beside him.

"Is it alright if I stay here?" Hermione asked. "I won't sleep here if you don't want me to. I'll just stay here until I get tired enough."

Ron quietly agreed, but he didn't wish her to leave. They talked aimlessly for a bit which made him content, but he was even happier when he recognized her steady breathing as she slumbered in his bed.

A very nonchalant Harry awakened them the next morning. He only told them to hurry their arses up if they wanted to go to St. Mungo's with himself and Ginny before leaving the room.

Ron and Hermione were a bit shocked that Harry wasn't at all phased by finding the in the same bed. They all had truly grown up.

After an hour of getting ready, they finally got to St. Mungo's and Ginny's name was called. They hurried into the hospital room where a healer was already waiting.

Hermione was enthralled to see a magical ultrasound, but it wasn't as complex as she'd imagined. The healer simply muttered an incantation and Ginny's stomach glowed. Hermione watched as the glowing figure of a small baby projected itself on a larger scale in the air above Ginny's stomach.

The healer moved to the side. He studied the miniature body carefully for a few moments while everyone else seemed to wait to hear his observations.

"Well," the healer finally said, "everything looks fine here. However, I stress the importance of contacting me if you're ever in any severe pain. Are you sure you don't want to know the sex of the baby?"

Ginny kindly told him that they didn't wish to know, and Hermione added, "I think I already know, anyway."

"Tell me!" Ron said like an eager child.

Harry put a hand over Hermione's mouth. "Even if you've figured it out, don't tell anyone! Ginny and I really don't know, so neither should Ron or anyone else!"

Hermione agreed with Harry's request, which only caused Ron to whine and grumble to himself.

He continued to do so all the way back to The Burrow.

"Why is it so important to you?" Hermione asked him as she sat on the parlor of the Burrow. She couldn't understand why he didn't just give up already.

"That's my niece or nephew! I'm going to be an uncle! I want to know!"

Hermione smiled. He was awfully cute when he was frustrated. Her little bit of knowledge was driving him crazy. Still, she'd made a promise to Harry and she would keep it.

"You'll find out in three months when the baby is born."

Ron growled. "You are going to be the death of me, Hermione."

"These next three months are going to be glorious."

Next chapter.. Christmas and some more progression on Lucidare!

Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	9. Yuletide Epiphanies

A/N- My hand was out of whack for a while, but now it's back to normal. This chapter is more of a transition chapter than anything else, but I think you'll like it. Also I've been reading a lot of the Shoebox Project over on Ten points to anyone who can find the reference to it in this chapter!

Lucidity- Thank you for being so patient with my slow style of bringing everything around. However, there are major answers about the lucidare crystal in this chapter! Hope you like it!

Tanya J Potter- I think they don't want to know the gender of the baby for that very reason. I wouldn't want to know if my child was going to be cursed. Plus, such knowledge could make them change their mind about having the baby, and we can't have that, can we?

Sunnyflower2005- I think there's a lot of foreshadowing. Your guesses are probably correct to some degree. I'm really glad you were able to read the story straight through and enjoy it!

BuckNC- Actually, yes. I did know about the exhibit. That was the whole basis of them not finding Lucidare in Egypt. Oh well, you just figured out this chapter before everyone else! Congrats!

Ingenious- More mood swings, you say? Ask and it shallll be provided! Haha!

Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.  
  
Chapter 9: Yuletide Epiphanies

Snow fluttered quietly outside the Burrow, but the inside was filled with chaos.

The scent of a large ham being roasted in the kitchen calmed the senses of the Weasley family as they gathered in the parlor.

There was only one day a year where everyone waited anxiously in his or her pajamas to exchange presents, and that day was today. It was finally Christmas!

"Who are we still waiting for?" Fred said sleepily, rubbing one of his eyes as he spoke.

"Ron."

"That little bugger?" George hoisted himself up out of the chair on which he was sitting. "That's no problem! It's just time for a little trouncing!"

Mrs. Weasley's face looked absolutely horrified as she turned around to face George. "You will NOT trounce your brother on Christmas!"

She lightly pushed George back into the seat where he started to whimper "Well, somebody should go wake him up!"

"And you know there's nothing better to wake up to then a good trouncing!" Fred added.

Mrs. Weasley only shook her head and sighed. She tried to find a sensible way to go about this so that her youngest son would get himself up but wouldn't get the stuffing beat out of him on that Christmas morning.

"I'll wake him up, if you'd like." Said a strong voice beside her. Mrs. Weasley looked over and smiled at Hermione. It was only natural that she's want to be there when he woke up that Christmas day.

However, everyone in the room was shocked, even Hermione, when Ginny stood up suddenly.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to wake him up. It's kind of important." She received a gentle look of understand from Hermione, who relaxed back into her seat again.

Ginny tiptoed up the stairs, hearing her twin brothers' callings of "Nobody's ever fought about whose got to wake us up before!" This only caused the pregnant woman to chuckle as she entered Ron's violently orange room.

She found her brother buried under a mountain of orange sheets with his head stuck under the pillow. The steady rise and fall of his chest indicated that he was fast asleep.

Lifting the pillow slowly, Ginny sat herself on the edge of the bed. "Happy Christmas Ron."

Ron, who was clearly still a bit foggy in the head, groaned "Watsamatter?"

"It's Christmas, Ron." Ginny replied slowly. "Everyone else is awake and we're waiting for you downstairs to open presents."

Ron curled up in a ball, obviously too tired to care. "They can wait a little longer then."

"I know one person who can't wait any longer."

"Who would that be? You?"

"No, this person." Ginny took Ron's hand off the bed and placed it on her stomach. Ron could feel the little flutter of baby's feet.

He jumped up in the bed, suddenly very awake. Once he got over the initial shock, a warm smile covered his face. This was the first true sign he had of his niece or nephew's liveliness. Sure, he'd seen the ultrasound, but nothing compared to actually feeling it move.

Ginny giggled like she did when they were quite young, playing in the backyard of the Burrow.

"It's amazing, huh?" she said to him.

Ron could only nod. After a few moments, he added, "I can't wait to have children someday. If I ever do."

"You will." Ginny gave him a reassuring smile. "Now let's get downstairs and open our presents."

There were cheers all around the room when the two youngest Weasleys entered. One present was tossed to each person and then they opened the presents simultaneously.

There were the usual Christmas gifts. Weasley sweaters, sweets, and small trinkets made their appearance in everyone's gift pile. However, there were some gifts that were truly shocking.

Hermione had come up with a very thoughtful gift for Harry that kept everyone amazed for hours.

When Harry first unwrapped the package, the sight of a misty gray ring baffled him. "What's this?" he asked Hermione, turning the box toward her and the Weasley family.

"Bloody hell! Hermione's proposing to Harry even though he's already engaged to our sister!" Fred yelled out, earning a firm punch from Ron.

"Oh, it's old Egyptian magic!" Hermione said, ignoring Fred's comment. "You see, it indicates danger. So, if Ginny is in danger, the ring will turn red. If the baby is in danger, the ring will turn blue. That way you'll always know that they're safe."

Harry took these words into account for a moment, smiling gratefully. He looked as though he'd get emotional for a moment, but his attention was then driven elsewhere.

"Harry! What is this?" Ginny gasped. She reached into a shallow box and pulled out a long silver chain with a key on the end.

Harry scratched his head and gave her a shy smile. "Well, I sort of.. bought us a house. More like a cottage, really. But it's in Ottery St. Catchpole and it's quite nice."

Everyone else was watching silently by now. Ginny's eyes began to water up with tears of love and joy as Harry continued to speak.

"It's not that I haven't being thankful for your family's generosity. I just figure that if we're going to do this, we should do it properly, right?"

Flinging herself at Harry, Ginny burst into tears.

Harry wasn't exactly sure if they happy or sad tears until Ginny finally seemed to regain the ability of speech again.

"When can we move in?" she inquired.

Harry let out a relieved chuckle. "Anytime after the first of January."

"Can we move in that day?"

"Now let's not rush into anything!" Mrs. Weasley squeaked. It would be harsh to lose her youngest child without any forewarning.

"Harry and Ginny? Not rush into anything?" Fred pulled a face.

George backed up his brother which an equally amused yet baffled expression. "Mum, perhaps you should have given them that advice before there was a baby or a large diamond ring involved."

"Never you mind, George Fabian!"

"Fabian?" Hermione snickered without thinking twice about what she said.

"Yes, Fred Gideon Weasley and George Fabian Weasley. The middle names are two of my dearest cousins. They were also twins-"

"-And troublemakers!"

Hermione blushed a little. She felt as if she'd inadvertently insulted a name that was part of Molly's legacy.

"Fabian is a lovely name." She lied to Molly through her teeth.

When she thought about it, the name really wasn't that bad. Still, if she and Ron ever had children, she wouldn't name one of them Fabian or Gideon.

She mentally slapped herself. Sweet Merlin! She was already naming their children!

The conversation was turned back to Harry and Ginny.

"We won't move in right away," Harry told Ginny, "but we'll move in soon, okay?"

With Ginny's nod, the unmasking of Christmas presents continued as usual.

Hermione received a lovely package of sweets from Fred and George. However, when she bit into them, she was rather disappointed to realize that there were canary creams in the assorted bunch.

When the spell wore off, the disgruntled witch reached for her last present and ripped it open with anger. It disappeared moments later when she saw what was inside.

"Ron, what's this?"

Hermione pulled out a long rope chain of a rustic necklace. For a charm, there was a small stone tablet with barely visible cryptic writing that Hermione almost immediately recognized as Egyptian.

"It's an ancient protection amulet." Ron told her. "I thought it was, you know, cool. I know it's not a diamond or anything."

"No! It's lovely!" Hermione told him, placing it right around her neck.

It was just what she needed. It wasn't some fancy, useless jewel. It was protection, love, and caring. Hermione moved over to Ron and gave him a warm Christmas embrace.

There was a loud bell in the other room that went rang through the house. Molly Weasley promptly flicked her wand and off it went.

"My potatoes are done! It's almost time for our little feast!" She giggled like a merry little child, rushing into the kitchen.

When all the food was cooked and prepared to perfection, Molly placed it on the table in front of her family members, almost family members, and guests. What a feast is was!

The boys always dug into meals fiercely, but nobody was sure if they'd ever been this fierce.

Stomachs were filled to the brink and pleasant conversation drizzled through the meal. For a while, at least.

"So, Harry, Ginny," Mr. Weasley said, wiping a bit of gravy from the corner of his mouth, "why don't you want to know the gender of my grandchild?"

Ginny's fork hit the table with a loud clatter. "I dunno, dad! If you were about to give birth, and you found out that if you're baby was a boy who ever had a sister somebody, or a girl who ever had a brother someday, IT WOULD BE BLOODY CURSED FOR LIFE, would YOU want to know?!"

She excused herself from the table quickly, stating that she felt quite ill. After she ran up the stairs, Harry got up as well.

"We also don't want to know because we believe the stress of knowing along with the curse would be stressful. Stress is bad for pregnancies."

He too ran up the stairs, and all else was silent for moments before Ron let out a grunt.

"I really wished I'd found that damn crystal." Ron growling, tossing his fork into his mashed potatoes like a javelin.

Hermione tried the best she should to comfort him. "It's alright. There's still plenty of places to look!"

The rest of the Weasleys agreed, though quietly.

"Oh really? Do you know of any small pieces of Egypt in any other part of the world? I sure as hell don't!"

Hermione felt terrible that Ron was so guilt, but he was being a right prat about it. She would have to put him in his place.

"Not pieces, Ron! Collections of artifacts! People have them!" Hermione shot back. "In fact, my dad absolutely loves one of the larger.."

Hermione's sentence faded off into nothing as an epiphany hit her.

"Merlin! I can't believe I didn't think of it before!"

Ron's hand on her shoulder brought her back down to Earth. "What are you talking about?"

"We've been in Egypt, and Lucidare has been here all along!"

"You've gone mad, Hermione!"

"No, Ron! It's in the British National Museum! It's got loads of Egyptian artifacts, but it's a muggle building, so nobody could've known the crystal was magical!"

Ron stared blankly for a moment, then began to look at his family in panic. After taking everything in, he jumped out of his chair, pulled Hermione out of hers, and directed her into the other room without a word.

He looked like he'd just won ten thousand galleons. He was no longer a guilt loser. There was still a chance to succeed after all.

"Why didn't you tell me about this muggle museum earlier?"

"I.. I honestly didn't think of it." Hermione shrugged her shoulders, her cheeks a faint pink.

Ron flashed a genuine, lopsided grin. "Hermione Granger? Not thinking? I'm shocked!"

Before she could give him a witty, or worse, annoying comeback, he kissed her hard on the mouth. The kiss only lasted a few moments, but it was pure joy.

Hermione sighed happily. "Let's go tell Harry and Ginny!"

"No!" Ron's eyes widened. "They're under enough stress already. You heard Harry; it's not good for Ginny. We have to go without them."

Hermione nodded in agreement. She had no idea how one would go about getting to every crystal in the museum, but it was probably their only option.

"We have to go soon." She said.

"No. We have to go tonight."

-

..What do you think? Was the location too obvious? Were the characters too emotional? Give me your point of view!


	10. Stealing A Ring of Hope

A/N: I'm a senior in high school, so November is scholarship and college application month! I've already got a head start (I'm actually supposed to be working on them right now LOL), so I figured I'd deliver a chapter today! It's a bit longer than usual, but I'm sure none of you will mind that. I'll have another chapter up as soon as I manage to get away from all the college paperwork!

Also, I know nothing of the real British National Museum, therefore I made up the description. For all those who have been there and know what it really looks like, I send my deepest apologies.

Ludicity- Whew! I was a bit afraid that Ginny would seem a little over the top. I've never been to the British Museum myself, but I've also heard about everything they have.

Mouskadiddle- Oh, guys can admit to wanting children! I have very heterosexual male friends who will admit to it. Ron was just having a soft moment after feeling the first signs of movement from his niece or nephew, that's all! Even the strongest guy turns into mush sometimes.

ShadowDown- I don't know from personal experience, but I heard that it's very easy to be a bitch when you're pregnant. ;)

BuckNC- It's alright. I can't be shocked with you figuring it out. I guess great minds just think alike!

Satine-cm- I'm trying really hard to keep everything original, so I'm glad that you think it is! The curse kind of progressed as I wrote. I thought about having it affect all the brothers, but that would be a lot more complicated, and it would kind of follow the same path as several other fanfics. Still, I'm happy with you like the R/H!

Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.  
  
Chapter 10: Stealing A Ring of Hope

The low-lit streets of London were far from pleasant on winter nights.

Ron and Hermione had apparated a good distance away from The British Museum just to be safe. It wasn't that they couldn't easily break right into the museum, they just didn't want to be caught by any muggle security officers and cause unnecessary trouble.

From the looks of the area that they were walking through, the Christmas spirit was already dead. The few decorations that were scattered about were weather-beaten and falling apart. The usually white, puffy snow had been so abundant at the Burrow was melted down into hard piles, blackened by grime and petrol.

"I don't know how muggles live here. It's.. mangy." He commented, carefully studying his surroundings. It became quite evident that Ron hadn't had much exposure to anything outside of magical culture.

"Not all muggles don't live like this." Hermione mumbled back, looking straight ahead. "My parents certainly don't. It's just that things are harder without magic, and some people don't have the money or energy to fix everything up perfect."

All was silent, but Ron's mind was reeling. So this was 'poor' for a muggle? Ron couldn't always afford things, but his home was never like this. He'd always had magic and a loving support system to help him out. If anything went wrong, he had his family or his girlfriend or his best friend.

Ron realized that he was much luckier than he had ever imagined.

"There we are!" Hermione whispered excitedly, pointing at the building directly at the end of the long road. "Time to get your wand out."

Ron did as instructed. He was used to being the strategist, like in a game of chess, but he couldn't possibly plan out this escapade. What did he know about muggle security?

Hermione's plan was rather simple. "All we have to do is put a full body bind of any guards we see and then erase their memory later. That way, we don't hurt anyone and they won't even remember so there will be no trouble."

"How many do you think we'll have to do that to?"

"Somewhere between 2 and 100." Hermione sighed.

"Gee, 'Mione. Thanks for the estimate!"

She pointed her wand at him, but didn't mutter any spells. "Don't be such a prat! If it makes you feel any better you can count as we hit them."

A determined fire burned in Hermione's eyes as she spoke, and that was the only thing that kept Ron for laughing. She was always amusing when she was angry. That's why he tended to pick fights with her. That, and the fact that she was still a bossy know-it-all.

A great iron fence surrounded the building. Two guards stood in front of it, looking rather bored. They hadn't seemed to notice Ron and Hermione strolling down the wide yet shadowy road towards them.

Hermione took this opportunity to pull Ron around the corner of the fence. "Alright, on the count of three, we use the full body bind. I'll get the one on the left, you get the one on the right."

"What about the odd moving picture thing above them?"

Hermione knitted her brow before poking her head quickly around the corner. Indeed, a large black camera shone down on the entrance to the gate. She guessed that there were several around and throughout the museum.

"Oh! Those are video cameras!" Ron gave Hermione a befuddled expression as she spoke. "I'll explain later. Right now, I need to get rid of them."

Hermione poked her wand around the corner at the video camera and mumbled a spell as quickly as she could. Immediately, there was a loud snap and an explosion lit up the sky like a firework. The one shattered camera was followed by the sound of each and every other camera in the museum falling to pieces.

A satisfied smirk played on Hermione's lips as she turned back to Ron. He looked shock, just like his always did when he learned some new talent of hers.

"Brilliant woman!" Ron laughed, giving her a bone-crushing hug before continuing. "Let's make our move before they get suspicious."

"Right! On three! One.. two.. three!"

There was a simultaneous call of "Petrificus Totalus!" The two guards' limbs clamped to their sides and they fell straight backwards.

"Run!" Hermione squeaking, jetting towards the gate and yelling "Alohamora!"

The gate opened slowly, but soon enough for Ron and Hermione to enter. They hurried to the museum entrance faster than they thought possible. There was no time to waste. It was only a matter of minutes before every muggle in London caught onto what was happening.

Two more men crashed through the main doors and saved Ron and Hermione the trouble of unlocking it. The pair, staying on the respective sides they had planned out earlier, petrified the men quickly.

"Four!" Ron shouted as he ran through the doorway. "Now where do we go?"

"Follow the signs!" Hermione's face was already pink.

Ron groaned. "Are you kidding me?"

"Not at all!" Hermione's eyes scanned until she found a sign for the Egyptian exhibit. "This way! Let's go!"

Another officer lingered behind Hermione, after quickly petrifying him; Ron rushed down the corridor.

They took a left here, two rights there, and finally they lost track of their path. Around almost every corner they had to petrify a man or two just to get by.

"Fourteen!" Ron called out as they entered the Egyptian exhibit, almost as if the petrifaction of security guards was a fun new game that he and Hermione had created.

Then he looked around and stopped dead in his track.

"This place is huge!" All the artifacts mesmerized him. It was almost as good as Egypt itself.

"Quickly! Just look for crystals!" Hermione yelled, snapping him out of his momentary lapse in attention.

Ron wasn't sure where to look first. Hermione rushed over to one display of treasure, so he just went to the next closest. He strained his eyes, but no crystals stood out.

"There's nothing here!" He yelled.

"Nothing here either!" Hermione replied, but she was already heading to the next display.

Ron did the same, trying to block out her cries of "Petrificus Totalus" as another guard entered the room.

"Fifteen." He mumbled to himself as he looked over the next area. Gold encrusted with various precious jewels glittered before his eyes. No crystals.

"RON! RON OVER HERE!"

At first Ron smiled, thinking of the glory that would come if they actually found the Lucidare crystal. When he turned around, however, he found a much different sight.

Hermione was in the arms of a security guard that was aiming one of those muggle shooting weapons at her head.

He couldn't actually kill her, right? Killing was illegal in all worlds.

Still, Ron wasn't going to take his chances.

"Petrificus Totalus!" He bellowed. The guard sported a very shocked expression before rigidly falling onto the floor.

Hermione shook him off and jumped up. "I think I found something!"

Ron's lanky legs carried him to her side in a matter of seconds. In front of them landed a glass case were several crystals in a small pile.

Hermione tried to think of a sensible spell to remove the glass without shattering it, but she had no time to execute her plan. Before she could even move, Ron threw his fist straight down through the clear shield.

An alarm blared in their eyes from all sides. Hermione yelled something, but Ron couldn't make out the words.

With nothing else left to do, Ron just started reaching in a grasping each crystal. The blood pumped through his veins so fast he could almost hear it.

One by one the crystals began to glow red, signifying that Ron had touched them but there was no magical reaction. He was starting to lose faith in the jewels before him. Time was just running too thin.

Ron grasped idly until his hand clamped around one of the few remaining crystals. This time, the reaction was different.

The glow was a pure white iridescent that lit up even the darkest corners of the enormous room. However, it wasn't the only object that was glowing.

A blinding light shone from Hermione's petite left hand. Neither of them could actually pinpoint the exact source of the light, as it encompassed her entire hand.

The shine calmed down from both the crystal and Hermione's hand. Without a second to waste, Ron pocketed the Lucidare crystal. On Hermione's hand, there was and iridescent band around her index finger.

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. She was the guardian! She had the ring of light on her finer, just like her vision!

She couldn't tell Ron now. There simply wasn't enough time. Everyone in London would be alerted of this break in.

Hermione motioned to Ron to follow her through the maze of corridors. They had only enough time to yell "Oblivate!" as they ran along to erase the guards' memory of the incident. The full body bind would wear off in about an hour.

Their feet carried them at a rapid pace, slightly numb from running. Without thinking twice about the state of the museum or the motionless guards with no recollection, the pair sprinted through the gates of the British Museum and down the dreary road from which they came.

No sooner had they rounded the corner than sirens could be heard in the distance. The muggle authorities were coming to the scene of the crime.

Hermione yanked Ron into the dilapidated doorway of an old brick building.

"Stay here!" she whispered urgently in his ear. "Just for a minute. If someone sees us running down the street, the muggles will come after us."

"Why don't we just apparate?"

"In a crowded area of town while sirens are blaring?" She gave him a look that showed her disappointment in his lack of logic. "No, we'll have to wait a bit."

After such an adrenaline-filled adventure, the minutes ticked by in the little hole in the wall where they stood. Their boiling blood cooled slowly, and the calls and sirens faded away.

Ron peered along the street, but nothing could be seen besides a row of old flats. "I think it's safe."

He took her hand a stepped out on to the street, bring her with him.

"So, we found the crystal." Ron began idly. "I'm not surprised that you're the.. you know."

"Ron."

"But I didn't expect the symbol would be some kind of ring."

"Ron! We can't talk about this here. It's too dangerous. Not now."

He nodded and walked in silence all the way back to their point of apparation. Their thoughts were concentrated on the comforting warmth of The Burrow, and with those images they managed to apparate back safely.

The entire house was silent. In the kitchen, Ron's picture on the family clock moved from 'Mortal Peril' to 'Home.'

"It must be really early. I'd guess it's about 3 in the morning." Hermione cooed, trying to keep her voice down to a hush.

Hermione looked so wonderful with her disheveled hair and rosy cheeks that Ron couldn't even control what he did next.

Ron pulled Hermione into his arms and kissed her deeply without any hesitation. Ron didn't care that they were in The Burrow, or that anyone could walk in on them at any second.

A gasp escaped Hermione's rather occupied lips and Ron grabbed her roughly and hoisted her up on to the counter. She immediately began tugging at his shirt, feeling the warm flesh of his lower back.

All senses were lost as lust took over their bodies. The sighed and shook as the powers of pleasure washed over them.

Even as she put her clothes back on afterwards, Hermione couldn't take her eyes off Ron. She turned on her tiptoes and gave him a mischievous smirk. "Goodnight, Ron."

"Goodnight? That's it? We just broke into a gigantic museum in London, Hermione!" He gaped at her in complete shock, as if she'd just cursed him to oblivion. "What am I even supposed to do with this bloody crystal?"

"Sleep with it under your pillow?" Hermione jokingly suggested as she began ascending the staircase.

"Goodnight, Ron." She repeated.

"Goodnight, Hermione."

Ron stared at his witty witch in awe until her shadow disappeared at the top of the staircase. It would only be a matter of hours before the sun came up, but still he wasn't tired.

Zipping up his trousers, Ron ambled up the staircase to his room. He stopped for a moment in front of Hermione's door, contemplating barging in and ravishing her once again.

However, their was a strong chance that he would get hexed if he tried, so he continued to skulk along the corridor.

He took the Lucidare crystal out of his pocket and stared fondly at it for a moment. Even though he knew Hermione was joking when she told him to put it under his pillow, Ron did just that.

He'd already touched the crystal and activated its powers, so what difference would sleeping with it under his pillow make?

By the time Ron actually fell asleep, the first signs of the morning light were already appearing. He wouldn't get to sleep much before somebody woke him up for breakfast.

His subconscious swirled around him as a dream overtook his mind. He tossed and turned got no closer to the images that formed ever so slowly.

Finally, the short image played out before him like in a muggle cinema.

He could feel the warm air even though the ground was covered with snow. It was as if he were inside a weather shield. Harry stood beside him and Ginny stood opposite them in an olive green dress.

He was staring at a woman with a bouquet of white roses grasped firmly in perfectly manicured hands. On the left hand, there was no ring, but a glowing circle where the ring should be placed. Curly brown tresses feel over a white wedding dress.

It was Hermione. He was standing at the end of the isle waiting for Hermione! So, why wasn't he happy?

Perhaps it was because Hermione wasn't wearing a real ring. He would want to buy her a real ring if they were to get married.

Then he looked down at Harry's hand and realized why he felt so insecure. Harry wasn't wearing a wedding band on his hand. Hermione was just marrying Ron so that Harry and Ginny could be safe from the curse.

Ron bolted up in bed, completely startled by his dream. He pulled the Lucidare Crystal out from under his bed. He wanted to throw it across the room and shatter it into a million pieces, but he refrained. Goodness knows what it all meant.

Thinking just wasn't working. He needed answers. He needed Hermione.

Jumping out of bed, Ron ran down the hall. Before he even reached Hermione's room, he could hear Ginny and Hermione down stairs having a chat.

"Dumbledore really said we could have the wedding at Hogwarts! He said the weather shield be put up easily, and the students will all be in classes, so it won't be a problem! It'll be a winter wonderland!" Ginny cried in a joyous voice that carried up the stage.

"Does Ron know?" Hermione asked.

"Not yet." The redhead woman sighed in reply. "But Harry and I have to tell him soon."

Ginny left a long pause before continuing. "If we can't figure out the curse before.. you know.. Ron'll have to get married the day before Harry and I. Dumbledore said that could be at Hogwarts, too."

Ron slunk down the stairs. He could see the look of confusion on Hermione's face as she took a great gulp from her orange juice and said, "You really need to tell him."

"There's no need to tell him." Ron called out as he walked down the stairs. "He already knows."

Ginny's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, Ron! I didn't mean for you to find out like that!"

"I didn't find out from you, Gin." He snapped back with an eerie calmness. His hand plunged into his pocket and reappeared with the Lucidare crystal in his fist. "I found out from this."

At that same moment, a raven-haired man who had just sorely lost a game of chess strode in from the parlor. "Hey Ginny, have you talked to Ron about the wed- What is that?"

Harry stared at Ron's outstretched hand as if he held a pistol in it.

"Is that what I think it is? Why didn't you tell me you had it?"

"We didn't get it until last night." Hermione murmured, which only served to get her astounded looks from both Harry and Ginny.

"Where?" "The British National Museum."

"YOU BROKE INTO THE BRITISH NATIONAL MUSEUM?"

As Harry and Hermione went back and forth at each other, Ginny turned her questions over to Ron.

"What's the British National Museum?" she asked.

"Some muggle place."

Harry shot a glance at Ron. "Some highly protected muggle place!"

Ginny began to look quite excited. "So who's the guardian?"

"I am." Hermione said, her voice barely a whisper.

As Hermione showed Ginny the ring of light that had formed around her wedding finger, Ron decided that this was the best time to bring up why he came downstairs.

"That's why I'm down here, Hermione. You can solve this all. I slept with the crystal under my pillow.."

"I didn't literally mean for you to do that, Ron." Hermione groaned.

"I know, but I did! And I had this dream. It was an odd dream, but now I understand it. Hermione, it was us getting married at Hogwarts."

"My vision!" Hermione gasped, putting a hand over her mouth.

"WHAT?" Harry bellowed. "You've been having visions and you haven't told me?"

Hermione buried her head in her hands. "I haven't told anyone."

"So what did it all mean? You're the guardian! You should know!" Ron asked.

Hermione stayed in the same position for a few silent moments before raising her head. "I think it's what will happen if we don't find a way to break this family curse."

"And how do we go about breaking it?"

"I don't know. Not yet."

-

There you go! Hope you liked it! By all means, share your thoughts with me about the chapter! I love hearing whatever constructive criticism you have to give!


	11. Visuals and Confessions

A/N: College applications are coming along, so I had some extra time to write! Three cheers for writing fanfic! This chapter has a little bit of everything. I hope you all will like it. And if you don't I'm sure you'll let me know in a nice way. Have fun reading!

lucidity- Yes, Hermione can counteract the curse, she just doesn't know how to do so. There are bits of foreshadowing in this chapter. I promise you that it will all come together.

Satine-cm- Big ball of greatness? Why thank you! That's impressive! The ministry doesn't know that wizards were involved in the heist, but if did find out then who knows what'd happen!

Pia O'Leary- Firstly, thanks for being such a thorough reviewer. Honestly, I'm not a big prophecy person myself, but I got the idea and thought "Eh, what the heck!" I'm glad it works out. I'll completely agree with you that the shagging is quite random, but I blame that on a little thing called teenage sexual frustration. When let loose, it can be dangerous. I'll try to incorporate more fluff, anyway.

ShadowDown- Making Ginny a goddess sounds like a lovely idea. I've always been attached to that character. It's surprising I don't write H/G stories LOL!

angel and devil- I sucked you back in? YES! Now I will brainwash the minds of all who read my story once and for all! MUAHAHAHAHAHA! - cough cough - I mean, enjoy this chapter!

Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.

Chapter 11: Visuals and Confessions

After a long morning of odd glances and bickering with Ron, Hermione was quite pleased to leave the Burrow for a little while. She tried to avoid thoroughly explaining her visions, as she didn't want to worry anyone. From their attitudes about her silence, Harry and the Weasleys would've preferred some more worry. Still, she didn't relent.

Diagon Alley sparkled with a soft winter glow that brightened Hermione and Ginny's eyes and cheeks alike as they walked towards Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Of course, 'all occasions' meant weddings as well.

"I hate having to buy some enormous wedding robe." Ginny sighed, dragging her feet through the slush. "I never expected to look back on my wedding pictures and analyze how fat I look."

"You're not fat." Hermione cooed. "You're pregnant. People honor and respect that. When you and Harry look back, you two will honor and respect that too." She smirked, knowing that Ginny couldn't argue with her word choice.

Ginny turned to Hermione as she pushed through the door to Madame Malkin's. Her fiery hair tumbled down over her left shoulder. The reflection of crystalline snow sparkled in her eyes. "Yeah, me and Harry and our little one won't mind. This is my wedding robe, after all."

As Ginny entered, Hermione followed numbly. Her mind was still dwelling on Ginny's words. This was Ginny Weasley. Little Ginny Weasley. My, oh my, how little Ginny Weasley had grown. She was now womanly, self-sufficient Ginny Weasley. Hermione's heart swelled with pride, but her eyes could only watch with admiration.

Madame Malkin grinned. She was no stranger to Hermione and Ginny's visits to her shop.

"Hello dears, what can I get you?" she said, flicking her wand and sending a feather duster to clean off a sign in the back of the shop.

Ginny spoke up in a clear, cool voice. "We're actually looking for wedding robes."

"Oh, yes." Madame Malkin piped up. "I've already heard about your engagement to Harry Potter! Congratulations!" Though her words were cheerful, her facial expression grew distort when she glanced down at Ginny's stomach. "Wedding apparel is way in the back of the shop, I'm afraid, both bridal and otherwise."

Hermione didn't feel the need to thank the old woman that was staring at Ginny like some common prostitute. Instead she turned Ginny around and started walking towards the wedding dress, muttering "Wench" under her breath.

Shopping for Hermione was easy for them. Ginny had already decided on dressing her in burgundy, a color that turned out to suit Hermione very well.

"I haven't bought a dress robe in ages." Hermione called out from the dressing room. "My last one was from the Yule Ball."

The dress robe Hermione was putting on was the same size as the one she'd worn to the Yule Ball, too. Too bad she could barely button it.

Hermione still struggled to get the robe on. She could still fit in to it! She wasn't that much older!

Sucking in a deep breath, Hermione snapped the final button shut. She wanted to jump up and down in success, but she just couldn't move. Her hands couldn't even undo the buttons.

"Giiiiinnnyyyy.." Hermione squealed. "I need you to come in here! I'm about to pop!"

Ginny rushed in quickly, taking a good minute to laugh at Hermione's sorry state before helping her out of it. "We'll just have to get you a size up, now won't we?" she laughed.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Make that two sizes up."

After successfully finding Hermione a dress that fit her properly, the search began for Ginny Weasley's perfect wedding dress robe. It was a long and tedious search indeed, as Ginny was a very picky lady.

"Hermione!" Ginny called out eventually. "I've found it! I have to go try it on!"

Ginny only showed Hermione a quick flash of a white robe before dashing into a dressing booth. As curious as Hermione was, she just cracked a grin and waited patiently for Ginny to come out.

A leg moved out from behind the curtain, and there was a giggle before the purple curtain opened dramatically to reveal Ginny, who was drunk with happiness.

The elegant silk robe flowed down her body smoothly. It cut slightly shorter than most robes, revealing Ginny's pale but strong legs. A silvery rope tied the robe shut in the middle with a bow and there was a v-neck at the top. The robe looked even better because Ginny was positively glowing.

"It's amazing." Hermione said breathlessly. That was all she really could say. Ginny had made an excellent choice. "Now let's go buy it!"

Ginny giggled. "Help me get it off!"

Hermione pushed the curtain out of her way and reached for the first button on the dress robe. However, as she touched the button, a familiar wave of nausea came over her. Hermione fell back against the wall of the changing booth, heaving in her breaths. There was no use in fighting it. She opened her mind to the flood that was trying to break through.

The vision was much more gruesome that the ones she'd had before. She was seeing a lifeless bloody corpse from every possible angle. The blood seeped out from the body's very own pores. The fingernails had cracked off and fell down beside the blood-drenched hand. Where there were supposed to be eyes, there were only two hollow sockets.

The body was wearing a silken v-neck wedding robe with a rope around the waist. It was Ginny.

Hermione came back to her senses when she heard a shrill scream. It took her a moment to realize that the scream was her own.

"Hermione! Hermione, please!" Ginny cried out, her eyes full of concern and panic.

Hermione took a moment to gain her breath then quietly mumbled "I'm okay."

"What's going on in there?" Madame Malkin's voice rang out suspiciously.

"Nothing." Ginny called back. She reached around and began taking off her dress robe herself. She didn't care about Hermione's presence. "Hermione just tripped and got a bit of a fright, that's all."

Ginny threw her casual robes back on. She threw a sharp yet worried look at Hermione, who hadn't moved an inch since her spasm. "What happened?"

"I had another vision."

Ginny thought for a second before clutching Hermione by the arm and pulling her along. They couldn't just discuss this in a robe shop.

"C'mon! We have to go home. Harry and Ron need to know about this."

Hermione's only response was a long, drawn out groan.

The floo network was unusually kind to them on their trip back to the Burrow and did not whip them around in such a way that they would lose their lunch.

"HARRY! RON!" Ginny wasted no time in beckoning the two men down to the parlor. Hermione only shook her head. She was just too drained to tell of the things she'd seen.

Ron strolled into the parlor with a half-eaten apple, and Harry's footsteps echo like thunder as he came down the stairs just in time to see Ginny forcing Hermione into a seat on the couch, looking flustered.

"What's this all about, then?" Ron inquired. He walked slowly towards Hermione, as if he might've contracted a very contagious disease if he moved too quickly, before taking a seat next to her on the couch.

Ginny sat in an old wooden rocking chair. "'Mione's had another vision again."

The youngest Weasley felt horrible for exposed her dear friend's fit to them all, but she realized it had to be done. Hermione was the guardian, but that didn't mean she could keep everything to herself and do it alone. They had grown into a team over the years. They had grown into a family.

"Well," Harry said in a surprisingly calm voice, probably for Ginny's sake more than his own. "What was it all about, Hermione?"

"Maybe I should start with the first one." Hermione sighed, throwing her head against the couch backing.

Ron raised an eyebrow, the apple in his hand long forgotten. "How many of these things have their been?"

"Three." "THREE? How come you didn't ever tell us?"

"Not now!" Harry grumbled at Ron. He leaned forward so that he had a prefect view of Hermione from where he sat next to Ron. "Start wherever you'd like. Just start."

Hermione opened her mouth, then shut it again. It was too much. It was just too much. Her eyes darted back and forth between Harry and Ginny. "I really don't think you want to hear this."

"We want to. Believe it or not, we can handle it." Ginny spoke after a minute or two of observing in silence.

Hermione sucked in the breath. "The first one was the night we found out about the curse. Ginny didn't put the ring on and Harry left it downstairs. I picked it up to give it to him, but as soon as I touched it, I saw.." Hermione's voice was already struggling to keep steady. "I saw the ring on a bloody hand. Someone was screaming, too."

The other three sat in quiet contemplation for a moment before someone muttered "Go on."

"The second one wasn't bad like that. Actually, it wasn't that bad at all." Ron smirked at Hermione happily, waiting for her to tell her version of the story.

"I was walking down the isle towards Ron." Hermione recalled. "Harry was the best man. We were at Hogwarts. I didn't have a wedding ring, I had this."

Hermione lifted up her hand to show them the glowing mark of Lucidare on her wedding finger that they all knew had only appeared the night before. She tried to continue nonchalantly. "Ron looked happy, I suppose, but I could see that something was bothering him. Oddly enough, I couldn't really feel my own emotion."

"And that's the only one anyone knew about, only because I told them." Ron didn't want to glare at Hermione, so he stared down at the floor.

"Well, do you like knowing that I'm being haunted by these damn things?"

"Of course not, but if you don't tell us, we can't do anything about it!"

"Oh, get on with it!" Harry interrupted the lovers' quarrel before it got too far. "What happened today?"

Hermione paused again. "I really, really don't think you want to hear this."

"Say it, Hermione."

Hermione held back the tears as best she could. How could she tell her best friends what she'd seen knowing what it would do to them?

"Ginny had her wedding robe on. I went to help her get it off."

Harry's face turned pink before he spotted the bag by Ginny's foot. "Wedding robe?"

He reached a hand towards the bag, but Ginny slapped it away. "Harry! No!"

"Awww why not?" Harry pouted. Ginny turned a little red herself. "You can't see! It's tradition!"

"Go on, Hermione." Ron called out loudly, drawing everybody's attention but to the bushy brown haired woman.

"As soon as I touched the dress robe, I saw Ginny in that robe. She was.. oh God, she was dead. There was blood everywhere." A tear sprung out of Hermione's right eye. "There were no eyes. No fingernails either."

Everyone stayed deadly quiet. A few more tears leaked out of Hermione's eyes. Ron put an arm around her in an unconvincing attempt to pacify her. Harry looked like he was going to be ill. What scared Hermione most was that Ginny had barely reacted at all.

"I'm so sorry, Gin. Please just tell me you're okay." Hermione's voice squeaked out.

"I'm fine, love." Ginny replied in a numb voice without moving an inch. "I think I just need a nap, that's all."

"Let me help you upstairs." Harry stood to help Ginny out of her seat. They left the room slowly. Hermione wallowed in the sound of their footsteps until she could no longer hear them.

"I don't know how I did that. I don't know how I can do this." Hermione's tone sounded almost as numb as Ginny's did a few moments ago.

Ron's arm tightened around her. Her head fell onto his shoulder and one lithe arm wrapped around his middle.

He looked down at the mass of chestnut curls and said, "We'll get through this. We've been through worse before, haven't we?"

"But this isn't about me!" Hermione cried. "If I don't solve this, nothing happens to me! But you and Ginny- Ron, you or Ginny could die if something goes wrong!"

"We're not going to die though. We've got a back-up plan, remember?"

Hermione lifted her head so that she could look him in the eye. "You don't really want to get married. I could tell in the vision that you didn't."

"It's not that I don't want to, I just don't want to force yo- force anyone to marry me when they have so many better opportunities in their lives."

"You think there's a better opportunity for me than you?" Hermione inched her hand forward until Ron's hand was clasped in it.

"Yes. No. I dunno! Christ, Hermione! I always thought you'd chose someone better than me!"

"Better than you?" Hermione said, a twisted, confused look on her face. "Because I don't know how I feel, right? Because my feelings since bloody third year don't matter?"

"Third year?" Ron reiterated, looking quite impressed. "I can't say I admitted it before fourth year, myself."

"Yes, Ron! Third year! Even when I could've had Viktor Krum if I wanted! You were always the best for me." Hermione's cinnamon eyes gazed into his stormy blue eyes, and Ron knew in his heart that she was sincere.

"But if I ask you to marry me, I want it to be right. I want you to be able to plan your perfect wedding, not some makeshift one thrown together because you felt responsible for my family." Ron leaned his head down so that he and Hermione were touching foreheads. "I want you to be ready so that it's everything you've dreamed of."

Without warning, Hermione pounced forward playfully and pushed Ron down. He lay back on the couch, Hermione's chin leaning on his chest. "Are you asking me to marry you, Ronald Weasley?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders with a mischievous grin on his face. "Not yet. I want that to be perfect too."

"Why?"

A shiver ran through Ron's body before he tensed up. "Because I love you, Hermione."

Hermione tried to embrace Ron, but it was impossible, as his back was sunk into the couch. "Oh Ron, I love you too."

They savored the moment as best they could, but the events from earlier that day haunted them both. They lay there for an eternity without a word, just trying to sort out their ever-so-complex thoughts.

Ron looked down from the ceiling and realized that Hermione had fallen asleep while still sprawled out on top of him on the couch. He studied her complexion, her twitchy nose and her rosy lips. It wasn't sexual at all. Nothing had happened between them. She'd only pounced on him playfully when she thought he was about to propose.

No, it wasn't sexual at all. It was art and beauty and perfection.

Still, Ron realized that she'd sleep much more comfortably in her own warm bed.

He propped himself up on to his elbows slowly. He didn't want to wake her, but that wasn't going to be easy. Ron wasn't exactly adept in lifting small women off a couch using nothing but his upper torso.

In fact, he couldn't move at all without waking her. It was damn near impossible. He let out a grunt of exasperation and fell back into the couch.

"Need a hand, mate?" A man with dark, messy hair chuckled out from behind him.

"If you don't mind." Ron replied, though very quietly. "Where's Ginny?"

"In bed. She's taking a nap, but I'm not tired enough myself." Harry walked over quite casually and stuck his arms underneath Hermione, minding Ron's legs. With a shock intake of breath, his lifted her into his arms and stumbled backwards.

"Don't drop her!" Ron mumbled in an excited whisper as he hoisted himself off the couch.

Harry tried to regain his footing, but failed miserably. "Well, I have no sense of balance, so I suggest you get her now."

Ron sighed deeply before putting his hands beside Harry's and taking Hermione from him. She wasn't an extremely heavy girl, but she wasn't exactly light either.

"Thanks, mate. I'm going to bring her upstairs, then I'll be down here again."

He clambered up the stairs, almost falling twice. This was definitely an activity he'd have to get used to with time. He smiled at the thought of being able to carry Hermione up the stairs for years to come, but he didn't want to rush it. At least he'd do it for now.

He congratulated himself on a job well done as he opened the white door and approached her bed. However, he did it too soon. When he was a few feet away, he tripped over the edge of the carpet and fell forward.

Hermione landed on the bed with a small shriek. Ron's arms were still under her. He pulled them out quickly and stared at her like an innocent little puppy.

"Ron! What are you doing?"

Ron shrugged while his cheeks and ears turned bright red. "I was just.. you know.. saying a little prayer for your well-being."

Hermione smirked through her sleepy haze. "You brought me upstairs? Why didn't you just wake me up?"

"You looked so peaceful." Ron said quite honestly.

Hermione was no longer looking at him, but at the shining jewel on her bedside table. Hermione had taken to Lucidare Crystal from Ron earlier that same morning.

"I dunno, Ron." She sighed. "But there's something more with that thing than me. It's got powers, I just don't understand them."

Ron brushed a stray hair out of her face. "We'll research it later, okay? I promise."

"But you hate research!"

"I'm liable to fall asleep, but I'll try." Ron noticed the small yawn Hermione let out as he spoke. "You just rest for now. I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

After giving Hermione a quick kiss on the forehead, Ron pivoted towards the door. A little voice stopped him.

"I love you."

Ron swiveled around, leaning a hand on the doorway. He didn't want to ruin the moment, but he had to ask. "Why?"

"Because you're daft."


	12. Revisiting Perils

I know you're all seriously about to kill me for not updating an over a month. In all honesty, I do not blame you one bit. I'd be furious as well. I could give you a million excuses, about computers and Christmas and college and writer's block, but I won't. I'll just give you a chapter and my New Year's resolution. I will produce another chapter for this story by the end of the first week of 2005, January 8th. If there's not another chapter by then, I want you all to disown my story (if you haven't already.) With no further adieu, here it goes.

Mistygurl- they do have jobs, but they're not important to the plot so I let everyone decide upon the job situation on their own.

Pia O'Leary- I like writing the darker, scarier parts myself. Alas, this chapter doesn't really have any. It's meant to have a bit of a darker undertone, as they're in a dark situation. I'm really glad you picked up on that. Thanks for such great detailed reviews.

Lucidity- I try to make the characters as realistic as possible, I'm really happy to hear that it's working for you! I also agree with you, poor Hermione! I must cut her some slack soon!

Friendofdobby- Emotions are really hard to show sometimes. I usually try to use description for it. If you think it's effective, I'm very pleased!

Satine-cm- I honestly must admit, I got the daft idea from a British play called A Taste of Honey that I did in theater. I wouldn't have been able to carry anyone up stairs anyway. I would have broken my neck! Haha!

Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.

Chapter 12: Revisiting Perils

Hermione would have never guessed that Ron Weasley would be the type to sing in the shower. She'd never caught him doing it before out of all their years of knowing each other, so she was surprised to awake to the sound of his voice.

The tune Ron barely carried was not so melodic, but Hermione couldn't help but grin. Despite it's shaky undertones, it was still the voice of the man she loved.

The singing died down, and a moment later Hermione heard the shower stop. Fully awake now, Hermione slowly drew back the memory of the night before. She had fallen asleep and Ron had carried her back to where she currently lay. She had woken up and they'd discussed the crystal.

"The crystal!" Hermione said aloud to nobody jumping up in bed.

Her right hand leaped at her bedside table. After a few clasps of nothing but air, her hand encircled around a hard smooth object. The Lucidare crystal was still quite safe.

Hermione ran a finger over one of the crystal's many smoothed surfaces. She had told Ron the day before that she would do some researching and experimenting with him, but she just wasn't patient enough. Ron could always catch up with her when he was done getting dressed.

Only inches away from where the crystal was situated lay Hermione's wand, which she picked up and pointed at the crystal. The crystal had no reaction to the unicorn hair in the wand. That was a good start, Hermione thought.

Her hands began to shake in fear. Experimentation could be quite harmful, even deadly. She had a pick the spells she did wisely. Perhaps that's why she didn't want Ron to be there until she knew it was safe.

She decided to start with the simplest charm she knew. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The crystal hovered neatly in place over the bed. It rotated in the sunlight, sending scattered beams off light all over the room.

Everything seemed just fine at first, and then Hermione made note of something new. Something she'd never seen it do before.

The crystal was emitting a soft silvery glow. Was it having a reaction to the magic being used on it? Was it because of the sudden change in elevation? Hermione wasn't quite sure.

The glow started off slowly in the center of the crystal. It was barely a pinprick when Hermione first noticed it. She observed motionlessly as the silvery light grew until it filled every inch of the crystal.

Then something even more odd happened. The light expanded beyond the crystal.

Wide-eyed and terrified, Hermione snatched the crystal back us into the palm of her hand. As she stared straight ahead, she grew angry with herself for not realizing it before.

An opaque blob stared back at her now. It was the Peregrinus.

Hermione wasn't quite sure what to do. If she yelled for help or moved too quickly, the Peregrinus would get alarmed and harm her. However, she couldn't just sit there. Action was needed.

Hermione slowly became very aware of the panic flooding her body. Her bones grew stiff and rigid in her awkward sitting position. The sound of rushing blood pumped through her ears. Her eyes began to water from staring so hard.

She prayed that Ron or Harry or any other person would walk into the room so the Peregrinus would be startled into disappearing, but it never happened.

The crystal felt rough and sharp in Hermione's hand.

Whether what happened next was out of desperation or pure insanity, Hermione was never quite sure.

One petite arm hitched back and then launched forward, chucking a glittering object at the gray fog that darkened the morning sunshine in the room.

The Lucidare crystal went straight through the Peregrinus and hit the wall with a horrifying crack. However, it did the job Hermione had wanted it to do. The crystal put a hole through the middle of the Peregrinus, and it quickly evaporated from the inside out.

Hermione closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. However, the door was flung open before she could even let the breath out.

Ron and Harry stood there, both looking a bit confused.

Ron's eyebrows knitted together. "What was that noise?"

Hermione only pointed to the edge of the bed. Her mind was reeling too much for her to talk just yet.

Harry was the first to notice what she was pointing to. "Hermione, why is there a crystal on the floor?"

"'Mione, why are there two pieces of a crystal on the floor?" Ron amended Harry's statement angrily.

Hermione leaped forward until her head hung over the end of the bed. "Two pieces?"

Surely enough, the Lucidare crystal lay in two separate pieces on the hardwood floor.

"Crystals don't break that easily!" Hermione insisted. "They don't shatter because of a little toss against the wall!"

"Well, if I could hear it down the hall, it wasn't exactly a little toss." Harry said, crossing his arms firmly.

Ron sat down on the edge of the bed next to Hermione. "Might I ask why you chucked a priceless magical, and oh yes, STOLEN crystal into the wall?"

"It came back." Hermione murmured.

Ron bent over and picked up the two pieces of the crystal as Harry walked out of the doorway and into the room.

"What came back?" Ron asked in a confused tone.

"The Peregrinus." Hermione's voice was growing less steady by the second.

Ron's fiery red head shot up until he caught her eyes. "Just now?"

Hermione nodded slowly, but it was Harry how spoke next. "What? Did I miss something?"

"Yeah, mate. You missed a trip to Egypt."

"Hey, if you wanted to stay home with your pregnant sister, I would've traded with you and gone to Egypt."

"Nobody asked you to knock up my sister, Potter."

"You wouldn't have gone to Egypt if I didn't, mate."

Hermione threw her arms up in the air. "I can never explain this is you two keep bickering like old women at the apothecary!"

Both of the men grew silent with shame. Harry propped himself up against the wall. "Alright Hermione, explain away."

"The Peregrinus is a protector of curses if you will. It watches over people who are cursed as a warning. If it feels threatened by a person, it can cause the area it's in to completely destruct."

"What's it look like?"

"A smoky circle. A shiny blob." Ron said, clearly failing in his attempts to give an intricate description. "A spherical silver puff, if you will."

"I haven't seen it at all." Harry shook his head slowly. "I'm Ginny's fiancé and I haven't seen it. Why are you seeing it, Hermione?"

"I don't know. There's got to be an explanation though!" For once, Hermione wasn't exactly sure of the answer.

Ron tapped Hermione on the shoulder to pull her attention away from Harry. "We have a bit of a problem now."

Ron sat with the two pieces of the crystal in his hands. Slowly brought the pieces towards each other. Hermione could see the places where the crystal adjoined perfectly, but the pieces just wouldn't go together. A soft red light fled from each piece of the crystal, but they would not move together.

Hermione had seen a similar effect in polar ends of a magnet as a child, but never in the magical world.

Ron pushed harder and the red light emitting from the crystals only grew brighter.

"No! Stop!" Hermione cried out, pulling at Ron's arm. "Don't force it!"

Ron gave up on the crystals. "What are we supposed to do with it, then?"

"Research." Hermione said matter-of-factly.

There were a simultaneous groan from Harry and Ron.

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

Hermione shook her head. She wasn't in the mood to have Harry and Ron tag along on this trip. She ruined the crystal; she wanted to fix it on her own without their distractions. "No, I'll go on my own. You two take a walk with Ginny or something. I shouldn't be too long."

Hermione had promised that her research wouldn't take long, but apparently Ron and Hermione had very different ideas of what was "too long." It was nearly dinnertime and Hermione still wasn't home.

He'd done the Tempus tracking spell several times during the evening, and each time he found Hermione in the same chair at Flourish and Blotts, pouring over large volumes.

Still, the time away from Hermione was good. In the hours she had been gone, Ron had been quite busy himself. Harry and Ginny were delighted to help him get all his little chores done now that he was feeling quite motivated.

The door creaked loudly as it opened, and Ron smirked at the sound. He walked into the kitchen to find Hermione in quite a state.

Her hair was frizzier than usual from running her hand through it so much. Her face was flushed from walking around in the damp, chilly weather. She was also so preoccupied that she didn't notice Ron staring at her from across the room.

"Did you ever find what's wrong with that crystal?"

Hermione was obviously uninterested as she looked up at him. "Well, it was broken in half."

"Really?" Ron gasped in a mock-shocked voice. "I would have never guessed!"

Hermione didn't reply. She simply hung her coat and scarf over the railing and began to clamber up the stairs.

"Where are you going now?" Ron shouted after her. "My mum's almost done with dinner!"

"I'll be down in a little while!" Her voice called back down. Ron made a move to the stairs to see what she was up to, but Hermione adding "And don't follow me!" interrupted his action.

Nothing ruined pork chops for Ron quite like worried curiosity.

What disturbed him even more was that nobody seemed quite phased by Hermione missing dinner. They acted as if it was normal for such a clever girl to work all through dinner. Maybe it was normal. Maybe Ron just hadn't noticed before.

It was completely silent upstairs, so there was no talk of what Hermione was doing. They would have no reason to rush in the room and see what she was up to unless they saw something strange or heard an explosion.

Ginny was the first to dare make a move. "I think I'll bring a plate up for Hermione."

"I don't think that's too smart." Harry said, still shoveling potatoes into his mouth. "She said she didn't want to be followed. That's like a do not disturb sign."

Ginny let out a light sigh. "I'll knock. If she tells me to go away, I will. It's that simple. Really, you'd think that it's a Chinese Fireball dragon, the way you two are acting." She nodded her head at Ron and Harry.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron snapped his head up at her defensively.

"Nothing, Ron. Nothing."

"Are you calling me incompetent?"

Ginny smirked as she sectioned off food on a plate for Hermione. "No, but you're calling yourself incompetent."

"I am not!" Ron darted back, though he wasn't quite sure what he was talking about anymore. Ginny had a silly way of keeping him extremely confused.

"Of course not." Ginny looked as if she'd just won a chess game against Ron as she tiptoed up the stairs and out of sight.

Harry and Ron exchanged mystified looks.

"Bloody mental, all of them." Harry began. "You'd think it was just the pregnancy hormones, but when you really think about it, they've been like this since first year."

"From first year to forever, I bet." Ron added with a hearty nod.

There was a moment of pure silence that filled the air. The plates and silverware had stopped clattering. The chatter had snuffed itself out. The floor and chairs had stopped creaking.

It was all perfect timing for the perfect reason, because at that very moment, Ginny's voice rang through the house. "HARRY! RON!"

The two men took advantage of the opportunity and raced up the stairs.

Ginny stood in the doorway with a plate of food still in her hand. She didn't seem completely shocked by the sight in front of her, but she certainly didn't look happy.

Ron pushed passed Ginny to see Hermione sprawled across her bed with a dark blue light filtering through the bedroom.

"Hermione!" Ron had run over to the bed and grabbed her shoulders in a split second. He gave her body a rough shake, a bit rougher than he had meant to shake her.

Hermione started again with a scream. Her body flung forward, but Ron was there to keep her from falling. She looked as if she'd just seen Merlin himself.

"Hermione! What happened?"

Hermione sat herself down and picked up the only object that was filling the room with light. Everyone else stared in amazement.

The Lucidare crystal was whole once again.

"I didn't faint because of the magic." Hermione spoke up slowly. "I fainted on my own."

"What happened?" Ginny said, placing the long-forgotten food on the bedside table.

"I looked up the properties of the Lucidare crystal. It took ages to find, but I found what I was looking for." Hermione's eyes watered with fear. "The stone can only be taken apart and put back together by the guardian of a curse."

Ginny snatched the crystal out of Hermione's hand. The light the crystal let out immediately extinguished.

Ginny's eyes widened. "So you're saying that-"

"Yes, Ginny. I'm your guardian."

It was predictable, I know, but it's something. Only a few more chapters left before this lovely tale concludes. If I don't get much input, I don't blame you at all, but reviews are always appreciated.


	13. Propositions for Hermione

Posted on the 8th as promised, by you get the new edited version on today, the 9th. I'll explain what I changed at the end of the chapter, because I wouldn't want to spoil it for you now! This story should be wrapping up in two or three chapters, and that may possibly include an epilogue of sorts. For now, enjoy this chapter!

Lucidity- Thank you for the lovely review. Quirky lines like the pork chops one are my favorite things. It makes me feel clever when I come up with one, and being a blond, the clever thing doesn't happen too often!

Harrysmom- Yeah, it was predictable. That's my own fault because I planned to introduce other cannon characters for possibilities like Neville and Luna, but I never get around to it.

Satine-cm- Here you go! Fresh new chapter! Yeah, the plot of unraveling a bit. It shall all be over soon. sniffThe story itself is original, it's just the daft line that was inspired by something else. So don't cry, just read away!

Mistygurl- I can't keep track of the days of the week either, it's all right! But I know today is Saturday and this is a new chapter! Yay!

Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.

Chapter 13: Propositions for Hermione

Hermione was feeling quite ill again. The meaning of her visions and suspicions flooded into her mind. The waves of harsh reality churned in her stomach.

In retrospect, it only made sense that Hermione was the guardian. She'd had a connection to the Weasley family for almost a decade. Now she knew that it wasn't merely by chance, it was fate's magical intervention.

Hermione Granger was destined to be the guardian since the day Ginny Weasley was born.

Her head was in a twirl. How was she supposed to guide Harry and Ginny around this curse? What if she couldn't do it?

Hermione leaned her head over the side of her bed. She was positive that she was going to vomit with the thought that any mistake on her part could ruin the Weasley family. She could kill Ron or Ginny.

Nobody seemed to be willing to talk. Hermione had no idea what she could say. Luckily, someone else did.

"Get out?" Ginny's arm extended firmly towards the door as she looked at Harry and Ron.

The men looked both shocked and appalled. "What?"

"Just give us a minute and get out, okay?"

"Ginny, we have as much of a right to be here as-"

"I know, Ronald!" Ginny said, desperation leaking through the cracks in her voice. "Just a few minutes, please!"

It was true that Ron did have the emotional range of a teaspoon at times, but he recognized when something was truly bothering Ginny.

"Fine." He shot out in defeat. "Harry and I will be downstairs." He threw a look at Harry, who simply nodded in agreement and turned towards the door.

Ginny escorted them out and made sure the door clicked shut behind them. She stood facing the door for a moment. Hermione could only guess that Ginny was trying to gather her thoughts.

However, when Ginny turned around she realized her guess was wrong.

Ginny was trying to gather her tears.

Hermione not longer felt like she was going to be sick. Now she just felt pitiful. She couldn't have possibly felt as bad as Ginny did. Hermione was guaranteed to live through it all.

Hermione stood slowly, her weak legs quivering in fear of what type of confrontation was about to occur. Would Ginny be scared? Would she be angry? Would she be depressed for ages?

Out of the many possible scenarios Hermione had imagined in her mind, nothing was even close to what happened. There were no fits of tears, no screams, and no cowering away.

Ginny practically ran up to Hermione and held her in a tight, sisterly embrace,

"I'm so glad it's you." Ginny whispered through her tears.

Hermione's heart sunk. Ginny had high hopes in her. However, Hermione was still fearful. "Ginny, I can't promise you anything. I don't have the answers."

Ginny looked up at her with hopeful bright brown eyes. "We'll find the answers. All of us will find the answers."

"No, Ginny!" Hermione cried, feeling tears beginning to leak out of her own eyes. "The guardian is responsible no matter what happens! I'm responsible." Her intake of breath was sharp and strangled. "And if things don't go the way they should then.. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Hermione pulled Ginny closer, as if holding on for dear life.

"I should have known this sooner!" She chided herself aloud.

Ginny pulled away and sat down on the bed. She motioned for Hermione to take a seat next to her. Chances are Ginny didn't mean for this encounter to be so emotional.

"'Mione, whatever happens to me or Harry or Ron, I'm glad because if my baby is okay, I couldn't think of someone else I'd want my baby to grow up with. I know you'll love it like your own."

Hermione bit her tongue about the good chance that the baby would die if anything were to happen to Ginny. She could never hand her friend that reality check. Instead, she only nodded.

"I've been meaning to ask you something for a long time." Ginny sighed.

"If you're going to propose to me for your brother, that's very sweet, but I'd rather hear it from him." Hermione stuttered out the first sarcastic words she'd used in what felt like ages.

Ginny sat up Indian style on the bed so she could face Hermione. The scene made it seem like the women were in 3rd and 4th year again. "No, actually. I want you to join my family, but not exactly in the way you're thinking."

"What do you mean?" Hermione said, looking very confused.

"Do you think you could consider being my baby's godmother?" The sparkle in Ginny's eyes was undeniable.

Hermione jumped up in shock. "Of course I'll be the godmother!" Unfortunately, she was dropped back down to reality quite quickly. "But what about other friends? What about your cousins or other relatives?"

"Oh, sod them!" Ginny laughed. "Sod them all! Harry and I discussed this, and you're the only person we'd want to be the godmother."

Hermione now had one more emotion to add to the extensive list that had gathered since she awoke. Honored.

"Okay, then." Hermione nodded solemnly.

Everything seemed so much calmer. Hermione wasn't sure which emotion surging through her should have been the prominent one. She decided it was best not to think about it.

"Let's just go downstairs and get you a fresh plate of food, shall we?" Ginny suggested, and Hermione was only happy to oblige.

Hermione wasn't shocked when she found Ron and Harry after leaving her room. They were downstairs like Ron had said that they would be. However, just barely.

The boys sat on the bottom step and spun around at the first noise they heard.

"Now how am I supposed to get food if I can't get by the two blokes blocking the stairs?" Hermione questioned with a meek smile.

Ron promptly jumped up and allowed her to pass, shooting Ginny a look of exhausted surprise.

Hermione strutted into the kitchen, trying her best to uphold and optimistic expression. As soon as she was out of earshot, the interrogation of Ginny began.

"What happened?"

"We just talked for a bit, Harry." She would tell him the rest of the details later.

"So everything's okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine." Ginny assured her older brother. "She's worried, of course, but I think everything is going to be alright."

Ginny began to walk by them, but an arm reached out and stopped her.

She twirled around, her red hair following quickly behind. She came face to face with Ron once again.

"Do you think tomorrow is too soon?" He whispered urgently.

Ginny seriously considered the situation for a moment. Still, she felt no need for delay. "No, tomorrow will be perfect."

Getting through to the next day was quite difficult for Ron. He was never much of an actor, so he was go good at keeping secrets of this sort.

He was happy and annoyed and anxious and a millions different things all at once. He was shocked that nobody could see his nerves crawling under his skin all through breakfast, especially when Harry initiated conversation.

"Ginny, we should probably getting ready to go." Harry picked up his orange juice and swallowed the last of it in two gulps.

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked.

Ginny stood up from her seat. "We have an appointment with the healer at St. Mungo's, and then I think we're grabbing a bite to eat in Diagon Alley."

"You should join us." Harry continued Ginny's thought quite casually. "For the food, I mean."

"I'm always up for food." Ron laughed, hoping that the humorous truth would help ebb away the tension growing within him. It didn't.

"Hermione, what about you?" Ginny inquired. Seeing Hermione's reluctant visage, she added. "I mean, you wouldn't possibly leave me alone with these two, would you?"

"Alright, I'll come." Hermione sighed. "What time do you think we should meet you?"

"How about one o'clock?" Harry said. He pointed at his empty orange juice glass and mumbled something under his breath. "I hope that's okay with you, because that's your portkey."

"Fine then." Hermione said, looking at the time. "Where exactly are we going anyway?"

Ron's heart dropped. Harry and Ginny exchanged odd looks. "We'll just meet at the Leaky Cauldron. We can decide from there."

"Alright, we'll see you then."

Ron felt his sense of balance begin to straighten itself out. He was panicking more than his mother did when Charlie flew his broomstick into a tree at age eleven.

"Let's get ready, Ginny."

"I should go upstairs and finish that book I started yesterday." Hermione yawned, still having hours to get ready for lunch.

When Harry, Ginny, and Hermione left the table, Ron was still mentally scolding himself for worrying like a woman. He could only hope the feeling would pass.

Much to Ron's displeasure, the feeling only increased as the day wore on. By the time Ron and Hermione grabbed onto Harry's portkey, Ron's nerves were doing backflips.

Ron had no chance to calm himself, because before he knew it, the portkey lurched their bodies forward. He was caught in a blend of color and motion that left him feeling more terrible than ever before.

It was the green blades of grass caught their fall.

Ron knew that Hermione must've been extremely confused.

His thoughts were only confirmed by Hermione's next words. "This definitely is not the Leaky Cauldron."

"I know." Ron agreed, trying to keep his voice steady. He was the one in control here, so why did he feel so powerless?

Hermione carefully observed the surroundings. They were in a long, slender front yard. Her eyes crept up the walkway until she saw a very familiar sight indeed.

"Ron? Isn't that-"

"Yes. It's 12 Grimmauld Place."

Ron could hear Hermione's gulp before she asked, "Why are we here?"

"You'll see." Ron managed to say, reaching out and grasping her hand as he helped her up off the grass. "Come with me."

Hermione seemed reluctant to go near the building, but Ron understood why. This was Sirius Black's old house, a place that had been both a fortress and nightmare for them only a few years ago.

There were a few things that Hermione was bound to notice though. The fresh gray paint covering the house. The much more welcoming blue front door. The shiny silver doorknob that Ron twisted as he flung the door open.

Ron felt more pleased than he had been with anything he'd ever done in his entire life when he heard Hermione gasp.

He let her take a few steps into the house to observe the polished staircase with a new banister, the blue painted halls, and the tiny strip of red carpet that led into the scarlet living room.

12 Grimmauld Place had been transformed from a mere house into a home.

"Did you do this?" Hermione managed to squeak out.

Ron was smiling like a fool. He could already feel his voice and his confidence crawling out of the hiding place they'd been in all day.

"I can't take all the credit." Ron pointed out. "The design was Lupin's, he and Harry helped me put it all together."

Hermione whirled around at the mention of Remus Lupin. "But I thought Remus would be here. After doing all this work he must want to move out of his wretched old flat and live here."

"Remus did move out of his wretched old flat." Ron was feeling quite smug at the moment. There was nothing like being able to deliver a series of shocks to Hermione Granger all at once. "But he's not living here."

"Then where is he living?"

Ron smirked mischievously. "With Tonks, of course."

Hermione walked leisurely into the living room to explore the ornate windows, the new furniture and the revamped fireplace. "I never knew Lupin and Tonks were moving in together!"

"I know." Her ignorance to Lupin's love life was part of his plan. That way she'd give no second thoughts to what he was doing with the house on Grimmauld Place.

It was time for the big part, Ron decided. "Lupin didn't want this house anymore, he just wanted to make it a place a family could appreciate. It would have to be a wizarding family, of course. The house still can't be seen by muggles without a witch or wizard's guidance."

"So what was the plan you thought of?" Hermione asked.

"I thought of you." Ron said simply. He tried to fish into his pocket as subtly as possible until his hand clamped around a velvet box. "Hermione, you drive me crazy sometimes. We drive _each other_ crazy sometimes."

Ron slowly descended on to one knee. He felt the nerves twitch again. He was walking the fine line between truth and insults. "But I love you, Hermione. I really do, and no matter what happens, I want to be with you."

He yanked the box out of his pocket a little harder than he meant to, almost losing his balance. He opened it up with shaking hands to reveal a small and simple, yet classy diamond band.

"What I'm trying to say is.. Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"

Ron could see the tears in her eyes, but he could also feel something going on. Hermione must've been in such a shock that she couldn't respond. "Hermione?"

"I'm sorry, Ron." A tear slid down her cheek. "I love you, but I can't marry you."

Ron had just gone from the highest high in his life to the lowest low of his life. He'd just been denied one of the few things he'd always wanted in his life. Always.

He should be used to it by now, of course. He never got what he wanted because someone always wanted something else that stood in his way. He was sure Hermione had her reasons. Hermione always had her reasons.

Besides, who would want to marry a Weasley?

"I understand." Ron mumbled, even though it was a complete lie. He would never truly understand. "I'll just be leaving then."

He shoved the ring back into his pocket angrily, hoisted himself up off the floor, and headed for the door. He didn't want to talk to her anymore. There was nothing let to discuss. But where could he go? The portkey was set to go back the Burrow where Harry and Ginny were waiting after their breakfast in Diagon Alley.

"Ron!" Hermione called out as he walked down the hall. He didn't stop or look back.

Footsteps flew up from behind him, and as he reached for the doorknob, he felt a tiny pair of hands turning him around.

"Ron, it's not like that!" Hermione cried out desperately.

One of Ron's hard-earned dreams had just been shattered. He wasn't feeling merciful. "Oh yeah, Hermione? What's it like then?"

"I love you! I told you I love you!"

"Apparently that's not enough for you! If you don't recall, you just said no!"

Hermione gripped his shoulders tightly. "You said you wanted it to be perfect! If you propose now because of this curse, how can it be perfect? You don't want to marry me. Not now, at least!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Ron bellowed. "I don't care about the bloody curse or my sodding family or anything else! I'm asking you to marry me! It could be tomorrow or in a decade for all I care! But here's what you don't get: I WANT TO MARRY YOU!"

For some reason, Ron didn't feel that screaming out such declarations was going to help the situation. He was due for a slap any minute now.

Something in Hermione's eyes changed as Ron prepared himself to be rightfully smacked. Her face eased down from its defensive position and she licked her lips tentatively.

"Then marry me."

Ron was now absolutely flabbergasted. "What?"

"I want to marry you, Ron. I just didn't think that was what you wanted." Hermione peered up at him with shimmering chestnut eyes. "If that's what you want, then marry me."

Oh, how the tables had turned.

Ron's lips crashed down upon Hermione's without another word. He decided that if he spoke, he'd probably say something stupid and ruin everything.

When the kiss ended, Ron reached into his pocket once again. He fiddled with the box until he'd pulled the ring clean out of it.

Once again faster than he'd meant to, Ron picked up Hermione's left hand and placed the ring on it. It was lucky for him that Hermione didn't seem to mind.

They stood there and enjoyed the moment for as long as they could. Ron couldn't describe the feeling he had at that time. He had Hermione in his arms once again, even after he thought he'd lost her.

"So this is our house?" Hermione whispered into his ear as the embrace ended.

Ron nodded happily. "Mum's going to have a fit. First Harry and Ginny move out tomorrow, then we'll move out soon too."

Ron smiled at the thought of the overexcited reaction they would receive upon informing his mother of their new life together. Hermione seemed to be smiling for the same reason.

"I haven't even seen this entire house yet!" Hermione muttered. "I can only imagine what the room I used to stay in looks like without the cobwebs!"

Ron was feeling bold. No, Ron was feeling recklessly bold.

In one swift motion he swept Hermione off her feet and into his arms.

"Let's go find out!"

Okay, I changed Hermione's original answer to Ron's proposal. Having her say yes right away and leaping into his arms just seemed too fluffy. So, was it a good or bad change? Any other comments on the chapter? Review, ladies and gentlemen, and let me know!


	14. The Whispering Light

These chapters are closing in quick! The final test will probably come forward in the next chapter and if not definitely the chapter after that. I'm sorry I can't update faster but I do have school full-time, a job, and a life. I'll try to keep some kind of schedule going. Still there's only a couple chapters left so no worries! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy this chapter.

Mac- Yeah, I thought it made more sense too. Plus, gut wrenching shocks are great at any time of day!

MmmMmmGood- Yeah, you were pretty much supposed to know that Ron was going to purpose. It was Hermione's answer that was the shocker. Forgive me for almost giving you a heart attack, dear.

Harrysmom- Yeah, I think Hermione is actually a very insecure character just like Ron. That's why she was worried about the curse being his reason. I'm glad you liked Ron's overzealous declaration of love.

Lovelyloey- You're definitely right, there could have been more development. Honestly it's my own fault that there wasn't. I was drawing a blank. Oh well.

Lucidity- I'm honestly not sure yet how many weddings there will be, or if they'll be written out. I'm kind of making this up as I go along, which is absolutely terrible LOL! I guess everyone will just have to keep reading and find out!

Shayla- You'll figure it out soon. I update about every two weeks so be on the lookout.

Angel and Devil- It is a rocky road indeed, but aren't all great love stories? I think getting through the bad times is what makes the good times so great.

Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.

Chapter 14: The Whispering Light

"Where am I putting this?" Ron grunted as he pointed his wand at a couch in midair.

Ginny untangled herself from a pile of curtains as she attempted to hang them from the windows. A pile of dust shot out and she sneezed overzealously.

"Ginny, this levitation spell isn't going to hold much longer." Ron wasn't sure why he'd agreed to help Harry and Ginny into their new house on moving day.

Hermione walked into the room to help Ginny fix up the curtains. Ginny only patted her protruding belly and mumbled something about her feet killing her. Neither of them paid much attention to Ron.

The couch dropped about a foot in the air. "I'm about to drop your bloody couch, Ginevra!"

That one got her attention. Ginny pointed at the empty space across from where she stood. "Just put it over there!"

The couch flew across the room at an impressive speed and dropped into place with a ground-shattering THUD! Hermione chuckled disapprovingly. Ron didn't care.

"When do I get to go in the room?" Ginny whined softly as she straightened out the curtains she'd just hung.

Ron knew Ginny was referring to the baby's room. Harry was doing some work on it, and he made Ginny promise not to go in there until he gave her the okay. Ginny agreed despite her lack of faith in Harry's decorating skills.

Of course, Ron and Hermione knew exactly what he was doing. Hermione had actually helped him plan it.

"Be patient." Hermione sighed, sounding a bit impatient herself. "I'll make you some tea."

"Yes, you make tea and I'll keep moving furniture." Ron laughed. He tried to take amusement in the fact that the girls made him do all the work. He should have expected it, after all.

The past week had been one of the best of Ron's life, so he couldn't complain. His mum positively bawled when Ron and Hermione finally came back to The Burrow engaged. She then went on for hours about how she'd known since the day she'd first seen them together at age twelve.

The next night, there was a feast in celebration of the newly engaged at The Burrow. Even though Charlie couldn't make it from Romania, Bill managed to come up from Egypt for the remainder of the week. The look of shock on Ron's face must have been priceless.

Now two days later, he was helping Harry and Ginny into their first home. It was a charming venue not too far for The Burrow. There was a small country road in front and a wide green forest in back with just enough grass to play quidditch in the shade.

Ron completed the living room not long after, as Harry and Ginny still had very little furniture. He was just about to retire for tea with the ladies, when he bumped into Harry in the staircase.

"It's finished!" Harry grinned triumphantly. "It's brilliant!"

Ron was going to reply, but another voice called out "It is? Let's have a look then."

Ginny had ears like a bat. She could hear noises from miles away.

She also had the speed of a snitch, because she was flying up the stairs in a matter of seconds with Harry and Hermione right at her heels.

Harry squeezed in close to the door and opened it, swinging out his arm in a sign of welcoming. "Here it is."

"Oh, Harry!" Ginny gasped, her eyes scanning the room over and over again.

It was a summer's day. Soft baby blue paint covered the walls and ceiling. On the ceiling, puffs of white clouds looked down upon them. Green grass was painted over the trim that led down to the green carpet.

Behind the grass, Harry had stenciled out a white picket fence with ivy crawling along it. When it reached the baby's ivory crib in the corner, the ivy design snaked along that. The rest of the room had little white furniture and a lush blue chair for mum and dad.

"Well planning it out is nothing like seeing it." Hermione stated looking quite impressed at what Harry had managed to accomplish over the last few days.

"You knew about this?" Ginny directed the question to both Hermione and Ron. They nodded with identical smug grins on their face. Ginny looked like she was about simultaneously laugh and cry.

Harry stretched his shoulders quickly. "Now on to all the other rooms."

"They're all set, mate." Ron was feeling rather accomplished.

"Except for our bedroom that is." Ginny added.

Forget accomplished, Ron was feeling rather ill now. They may have been getting married and having a baby, but they were still Harry and Ginny, his best friend and little sister.

Ron took Hermione's hand and made a move for the door. "That's our cue to leave, then!"

Generally, a comment like this would at least get a smile or a giggle from one of his dear friends, but it didn't. Everyone seemed to be far too preoccupied with Hermione's sweater.

"Hermione, you're glowing." Ron said, his eyes glued to the green light emitted from the pocket of Hermione's sweater.

"Really?" She growled sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed!"

"What are you doing carrying around that crystal all day?" Harry inquired without even seeing the crystal.

Hermione shrugged as if it was so obvious, but men were too thick. "In case something like this happens. I couldn't have left it unattended at The Burrow in such an unstable state."

She grasped inside her pocket and yanked out the now emerald stone. It had glowed before, but always for a purpose. Nobody could think of a purpose for it now.

"What's that all about?" Ginny asked quietly.

It took mere seconds before her questions were answered.

The green ivy painted around the crib lit up in the same sparkling green color. Ginny took a step back, but Harry moved a step looker.

"Don't touch it!" Hermione chided.

Harry was no fool. Hermione had more knowledge of the scenario that anyone else and she probably knew what was best for him. Still, they could all tell he was willing to take the risk.

Ron hoped that the light would disappear quickly, but it shone firmly for several more tense moments before anyone dared to move.

Hermione inched closer to the crib, stretching her hand slowly.

Fear shot up through Ron's body as he began to realize what she intended to do. He rushed over in two wide strides and clasped her arms down by her side, moving her away from the crib.

"You told Harry not to touch and now you're about to do the same damn thing?" Ron's voice was harsh, but he thought it was justifiably so.

"Desulva temis." Hermione whispered.

Ron shook her shoulders quickly. "Hermione what are you talking about?"

"I don't know, Ron! I don't know, but I know what I'm doing!" Hermione sighed.

"No, you don't! You've got a hunch but you don't know what could happen to you!"

Suddenly, the room was much darker. The light from the crystal and the crib had completely faded.

Hermione glared at Ron with a look of utmost anger. "Now look what you've gone and done!"

"Yeah, I possibly saved your life. What an arse I am." He spat back, his blood boiling with a strange feeling of love mixed with distress that only Hermione could produce from him.

"Let's not argue!" Ginny called out, trying her best to avoid the inevitable. "Let's snatch some food from the Leaky Cauldron and bring it back here to eat instead!"

After moving almost all the furniture in the house, neither Ron nor Hermione could argue with the idea of a full meal.

"That'd be lovely." Hermione agreed. Her head snapped towards Ginny's tall brother. "Unless Ron thinks a fork is too dangerous for me to touch, of course."

"Only if the fork is glowing with the bloody light of impending doom." Ron shot back, turning his back out the door and finally exiting.

How could she not understand? He was only protecting her. She had a lot weighing on her shoulders and she couldn't screw it all over by taking risks.

Dinner was ordered through Harry, who went by floo to retrieve it. The period during which he was gone was gut wrenching. Hermione made idle conversation with Ginny and completely ignored Ron. Nobody was willing to discuss the events that occurred only a few minutes before.

Hearing Harry's entrance was a breath of fresh air. The wafting smell of fresh food didn't hurt much either. However, Ron still stayed as silent as possible. For once he realized that talking would do him no good. If he mentioned anything about Hermione's strange words, they would be an argument.

"..'Mione?" Ginny's voice was little a meek. "I have to ask? You whispered something in the room. Something I didn't understand. What was it?"

Hermione swallowed a bit of food and hung her head. "Desulva temis. I don't know what it is. It just kind of came to me."

No fair! Ginny got an answer without any trouble whatsoever! Ron felt a slight resentment of his bold little sister who had used her femininity to her advantage.

"Are you sure you don't know where it's from?" Harry asked in a smooth, calm tone.

"I haven't a clue." Hermione replied after a moment of deep thought.

Ron thought this was a good time to inject a few words of comfort. "Well, if you think of anything, you can always talk to us about it."

"I know Ronald. I'm not daft." Hermione didn't exactly lash out at Ron, but she wasn't as calm and polite as she had been with Harry and Ginny. Go figure.

The table creaked. Harry coughed. Ron's bladder sloshed uncomfortably. Hermione's head shot up quickly. Almost too quickly for Ron's liking.

"I'll be right back. I have to go to the loo." Hermione told them firmly. With her hands in her pockets, she escaped down into the other room and took a right.

"Isn't the loo on the left?" Ginny giggled in question.

Harry shrugged. "I think so. I haven't been here long enough to be positive." For a brief moment, a smile that highlighted Harry's new beginnings lit up his face. "She'll find her way."

"Well she better hurry up." Ron grunted, feeling the tingling in his bladder increase to an uncomfortable level. "I could use the facilities myself."

Harry chewed his food quickly, pointing up at the ceiling rather frantically. He swallowed with a loud gulp before announcing that there was a bathroom upstairs that he'd gotten very familiar with while decorating the baby's room.

"It's not as big as the other," he explained, "but I'm sure you won't mind."

"Not at all." Ron smiled, already rising from his seat and heading for the stairs. He took a sharp right and headed toward the stairs without a second thought. After rushing up the stairs, he quickly found the bathroom Harry spoke of.

When Ron finally turned off the faucet minutes later, he was really starting to like Harry and Ginny's new home. It was warm and welcoming, just like the couple themselves. He knew their family would thrive here.

Lost in his thoughts, Ron barely noticed the bright green light shining through the crack in the nursery doorway.

His breath hitched. Nothing in that room was safe, but he had to know what was happening. He had to get Hermione.

His feet tumbled down the stairs at a disastrous rate. He couldn't possibly go into the room on his own, but he didn't know how long the light would last. He turned into the kitchen to find something that shocked him even more.

Harry and Ginny sat alone at the kitchen table.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron shouted, though he was positive that he already knew the answer.

Ginny looked confused beyond belief. "She's still in the loo, I suppose. Why?"

"Shite!" With that, Ron was running up the stairs once again. After a moment of hesitation, he could hear Harry and Ginny running up behind him.

The light was still growing strong when Ron's hand clutched the doorknob and firmly swung the door open.

The eerie green light enveloped the crib once again. In front of it stood Hermione looking brave yet reserved. In one hand she held the lime Lucidare crystal. She held her fingers of the hand mere centimeters away from the crib. Ron entered just in time to see her fingers slowly closing the gap.

"Hermione, no!" Ron yelled out.

He tried to pull her away again by grabbing her free that was hand by her side, but at the same time Hermione came in contact with the glowing green leaves of the Potter baby's crib.

Ron felt an extraordinary pain until anything he'd ever felt before. His body felt like it was on fire with the intense heat surrounding him. His skin was blistering and his insides were melting. Shocks shot through his body, making every fiber of his body ache.

The last thing he heard were the words "Desulva temis" before everything went black.

Several hours later, a red-haired boy woke up on a long green couch. His eyes were weak, but he was able to open them and study the scene.

Night had fallen over the Potter house. A fire was lit and a bushy-haired woman stared into it with a look of unease on a chair next to him. She looked as if she'd been crying quite recently.

Ron attempted to lay a hand on Hermione's knee. However, after only a few inches of stretching he felt a stabbing pain in his muscles and let out a painful grunt.

"Ron!" Hermione jumped up out of the seat. "Don't move!"

Ron definitely hadn't planned on moving. He learned his lesson the first time. Instead he watched as Hermione rushed over to the nearest table and picked up a teacup.

"Here," she motioned, bringing the cup to his lips, "drink this."

Great. Bloody health potions. He wasn't happy, but Ron still managed to do what Hermione said with little difficulty.

Surprisingly, the potion wasn't as God-awful as most. The taste was similar to overly sweetened Butterbeer. Ron would need to thoroughly brush his teeth to get rid of the aftertaste, but he realized it was worth it when he felt his muscles begin to loosen up.

"Hi, love." He squeaked out with a weak smile.

Hermione returned his smile tenfold. "Hi."

"What happened?" Ron said in a groggy sounding voice.

"Ron, you weren't supposed to touch me, but you did." Hermione said as if she'd known that all along. "Therefore the pain transferred to you."

"Well why would you touch that thing just to feel pain?" Ron shot back in a confused voice. He was trying to stay on his best behavior because he could see the guilt in Hermione's eyes.

Hermione shook her head. "I didn't just feel pain. I spoke to the Peregrinus."

"What?!"

"I spoke to the Peregrinus the original cursed Weasley siblings, Robertus and Gweneveire. Well, technically I only heard their voices."

Ron's eyes were wide with shock. "What did they say?"

"Robertus wanted to kill me, Ron." Hermione heaved, the tears welling up in her eyes. "He knew only the guardian could have made it this far. But the Peregrinus couldn't kill me. Gweneveire wouldn't allow it."

Ron suddenly held a grudge against one ancient ancestor and a deep love for another. That still left him with nothing to say. "Go on."

"They could feel you touching my hand, Ron. They could feel your emotions. Your love." A single tear slipped down her cheek. "So they decided that there was only one way prove that me, you, Harry and Ginny really love each other. They're going to give us a test."

Ron blinked twice, then slowly nodded. "What kind of test?"

"I don't know."

"What if we don't pass?"

Hermione's breath shuddered as she sucked it in. "They'll destroy us."


	15. Dinner with Disaster

A/n: Here it is! The test! Dun dunn dunnnn! There's also a little reference to the movie Boondock Saints. I'll give a cookie to whoever gets it! Don't worry, this is not the end! There all be an epilogue to tie it all together and in which I'll ask a big question about what you'd like to see in my next story, though I don't think the next story I speak of will be posted up right away. For now, just take in all this!

BuckNC- Yeah I know, pop quizzes are torture! Hermione KNEW that the cradle was dangerous and she planned on taking the pain herself, but Ron grabbed her and thus got the pain himself. It's just as much his fault, really.

Trixie7- I think the same thing. That doesn't make for much of a story. Plus, solving the curse was my main priority in writing this.

Lucidity- Thank you! Honestly, I never really know if I do well with characterization. I'm more comfortable with Ron's POV than Hermione's, but the story sort of requires me to switch off between the two.

MmmMmmGood- I actually thought the crib idea was going out on a limb. You liked it? Woohoo!

Hipchick- The 'they'll destroy us' kind of gave me the chills too. It seemed appropriate. Now you'll get to see how Hermione handles herself in a test she can't study for!

Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.

Chapter 15: Dinner with Disaster

Hermione fell back on to her bed at the Burrow. It was the last day she'd be able to do so, she realized with a bit of nostalgia and regret.

It's not that she didn't want to move in to a place of her own with Ron, but so much had happened at the Burrow. This was the place she went to after she'd first asked if it was okay to sleep over a boy's house. To this day she still smiled back in the image of her father's eyes bulging out of his head at the very question.

Then there was fourth year, where Hermione had stayed at The Burrow just before the Quidditch World Cup. She'd met the entire Weasley family that year. Charlie and Hermione had quite a discussion about the symbolism Charlie's Romanian dragon tattoos. She'd been just slightly repulsed by Bill's gigantic fang earring, but his hair was awfully cool.

The Burrow got very limited use the next three years, as the Weasley were in hiding at 12 Grimmauld Place. It wasn't until the end of the war shortly before Hogwart's graduation that the Weasley family saw their precious home again. Harry and Hermione were there when they first came back.

The most important role The Burrow had played to Hermione was a home after the war. Hermione had known that after all the things she'd seen in the wizarding world, she could never go back to live in the muggle world. She's been offered several positions at the Ministry, including the one she presently had as a case researcher for the Department of Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures, but she didn't have a place to live.

Molly Weasley and her gracious family had asked her to stay with them, and now two years later she was leaving them.

There was a knock on the door. "Hermione? Are you decent?"

Well, she was leaving most of them. She was still taking this one with her.

"Yes, Ron. Come in."

A bare-chested Ron strutted into the bedroom where all their clothes were packed away in several small suitcases. "Sorry." Ron said. "I forgot to get a t-shirt."

Hermione snorted. Chances are he 'forgot' his shirt on purpose when he gone downstairs earlier. He'd love for Hermione to ogle his almost muscular chest, so she made sure she kept her face firmly stuck in the magazine she held in hand just to defy him.

As she stared downwards and pretended to look at the moving picture in front of her, she wondered whether Ron's ego was simultaneously deflating or not. She could hear him moving, but there were no noises that sounded like a suitcase being tampered with.

She quickly found that Ron's ego hadn't deflated a pinch. Ron laid himself down on the bed next to Hermione, still shirtless. "That's not a book. What are you looking at?"

Moving the magazine towards him a bit, Hermione revealed to Ron an image of a happy woman smiling in a doorway wearing a risqué bridal robe.

"Don't you think it's a little early to be looking for wedding robes?" Ron asked, excited but a little confused.

"Harry and Ginny's wedding is in two weeks."

Ron's face went from slight confusion to pure bewilderment. "But Ginny already has a robe, doesn't she?"

Hermione was trying to be subtle. It was apparent at that moment that Ron was never very good at picking up on subtleties. She'd have to spell it out for him as usual.

"Ron, we still have this curse over our heads. The test not might come before Harry and Ginny's wedding. I'm looking at robes for me."

"In case we have to have an emergency wedding?" Ron's eyes widened in shock.

Hermione smiled at Ron's use of the term 'emergency wedding.' That was, in fact, what it would be, but hearing the phrase aloud made it difficult to hold back foolish schoolgirl giggles. Trying her best to maintain herself, Hermione simply looked back to her magazine.

Ron was silent for a long time before Hermione dared to look back at him. The look on his face was sullen yet at the same time pensive. She began to study his strong jaw line and scrunched freckles, but stopped when she realized his bright blue eyes with unusually long eyelashes were boring down on her.

"The test will come before the wedding, you know. It has to." His words were strong and comforting, but she couldn't be sure.

After all, Hermione was the guardian. She was supposed to know what was going to happen and how to stop it, but she didn't. She didn't have a clue.

"There's no guarantees." Hermione whispered in just as comforting a voice.

A grin spread across Hermione's face as she felt the warmth of an arm wrapping around her and giving her a quick squeeze. "The date doesn't matter. You're stuck with me no matter what."

"Stuck with you is appropriate." Hermione squirmed as she spoke, trying to loosen Ron's death grip on her.

Taking the hint, Ron let go completely and clambered out of bed to retrieve a shirt.

"Harry and Ginny want us to go over their house for dinner around four today. Ginny's cooking roast beef."

"Ginny cooks?"

Ron shrugged. "She's been learning for a while. I guess it's the maternal instinct." He pulled a blue shirt down over his head. "Harry's not dead yet, so I agreed to eat over there when I get home from work. You going to meet us there?"

Hermione sighed. She'd planned on spending the day researching and devising a plan just in case there was an emergency wedding and then looking into possible challenges brought forth by curses and how to defend oneself against them, but a little dinner in between wouldn't hurt.

"Alright." She agreed, putting the bridal magazine down. "But if I get any good research tips, I might have to bring them to Ginny's, if I remember to get there at all."

Ron eyed Hermione suspiciously. "If you're not there by four thirty, I'm coming back to the Burrow and dragging your arse there."

"Ronald Weasley, get to work." Hermione shot back in reply. She wasn't trying to get out of going to Ginny's dinner, but there were much more important things to worry about at the moment. There was a curse after them. There was a wedding coming up, possibly two. There was work to be done.

Plus, if Hermione didn't research, who would? Harry and Ginny were too busy planning a wedding and preparing to have a baby. Ron would pass out on the research book and wake up three hours later with a large ink stain covering the side of his face.

Ron shook his head at Hermione with both amusement and frustration before apparating with a soft popping sound.

With Ron out of sight, Hermione realized that this wedding plan wasn't going to be easy. She was the brightest witch in Hogwarts, but she was socially inept! She'd never had to plan anything formal in her life!

Suddenly, a wave of realization hit Hermione as the smell of fresh bacon rose up from the first floor. There was only one person left in the Weasley household. That one person was exactly what she needed.

Hermione snatched the magazine up and hurried down the stairs so quickly that she almost tripped over her own feet. Feeling rather foolish, Hermione reminded herself that it wouldn't have been the first time she'd fallen down those stairs.

Despite her stumbling act to the kitchen table, she was still greeted with a cheerful "Good morning, Hermione!"

"G'morning Molly." Hermione let out a sigh of relief when her bottom settled into the chair. She managed to run through the house with excitement without breaking anything.

"I told you a million times dear, call me Mum." Molly came towards the table with two plates in her hands. "I thought you'd appreciate some breakfast."

"Thank you." Hermione rattled off quickly. "I actually had a few questions for you, Molly.. Mum."

Molly looked quite pleased with Hermione calling her mum. The day Hermione and Ron had announced engagement, Mrs. Weasley claimed that she always knew Hermione would be calling her mum someday.

Molly's eyes caught the bridal book on the table. "Does this have anything to do with marrying my son?"

Hermione nodded. She could feel a slight blush rising up her cheeks, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint the cause. Embarrassment? Shyness? Excitement? All of the above?

"If there's no progression with the curse before Harry and Ginny's wedding date in two weeks, then Ron and I are getting married at the same area of Hogwarts in one week and six days. Molly, I haven't planned a thing yet!"

To Hermione's surprise, Molly laughed, her aging eyes sparkling in the morning light. "It's never easy, mine certainly wasn't. Let's start with the basics."

"Thank you so much."

Molly waved her hand to indicate that it was no problem. "You'll do fine. This is all just a test of your patience, dear."

"Everything seems to be a test these days."

Hermione apparated to The Cottage, which was the new nickname for Harry and Ginny's house, just after four o'clock. The couple was greeting Ron when she arrived.

"You made it!"

"Yes, I made it." Hermione shot Ron a sarcastic smile. "That also means I didn't come up with a hint of information about your ancient relatives' little plan."

A look of concern clouded over Harry's face. "You not still researching that, are you?"

"Hermione, I thought we discussed it." Ginny added. The couple was already learning to pair up against others. If their children ever got caught starting trouble, they wouldn't stand a chance. "There's no planned defense mechanism you can use against this test. There's no way to predict this."

"What am I supposed to do before it comes then?" Hermione questioned, tucking herself in her seat.

Ginny placed a full plate in front of Hermione. "Eat your mashed potatoes."

"Thanks Gin." "No problem."

There were several loud clanks as silverware began crashing into dinner plates, cutting roast beef and clinging to vegetables. Ron stumbled with his knife as he cut through the tough roast beef, placing a few fingers down on the meat while he cut it with the knife dangerously close.

"You're going to cut your hand open like that." Hermione chided in between bites of corn.

"I can very well cut my own meat, thanks."

Harry stifled a laugh. Ron glanced up at him, waiting for an explanation as to what was so funny, but Harry quickly averted the attention away from him. "It's getting dark earlier than usual tonight."

Ron's look softened and he slowly nodded at the change of subject. Hermione internally let out a sigh of relief. No brawls in the kitchen during dinner? Excellent!

Everything went back to normal dinner etiquette.. for about three seconds.

"FUCK! ASS!" Ron's voice echoed through the house as he dropped his sharp knife on to the table. Blood was slowly oozing out of the cut on his finger.

Ginny gasped. "Ron! Do not swear in front of my child!"

"It's not even born yet! It can't hear me!"

"How do you know that?"

"Just take my word for it and stop me from bleeding!"

Rolling her eyes, Hermione got up and examined the cut. It wasn't too deep.

"Wash it out in the sink and I'll heal it for you." She gave Ron as her verdict. Sometimes she felt bad for Ron's mum. Ron was a man. A strong willed man who required the care of a five-year-old even though he was just weeks away from his twentieth birthday.

Hermione couldn't help but smirk and shake her head as Ron mumbled curses all the way to the sink. He flicked on the faucet and let out a loud hiss as the water fell over his finger. He seemed a bit weary staring down at the blood washing away, so Hermione wasn't surprised when he began to stare out the window instead.

However, she was surprised when a grabbed his wand suddenly and screamed out "Harry! Get over here! Now!"

Sensing the urgency in Ron's voice, Harry rushed over. Hermione and Ginny stood up, but stayed at the table until Harry waved them over with the warning of "It wasn't getting dark early."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked as she shuffled closer.

Harry simply pointed out the window. Hermione's eyes grew as wide as saucers when she noticed the thick black cloud in the distance. It was tumbling toward The Cottage at an unbelievable pace.

Then Hermione realized that it wasn't just a cloud of smoke. It was several individual objects moving forward. Her eyes focused and she gasped aloud at the clear-cut image in front of her.

"Dementors."

"Thousands of them."

Harry turned away and gagged on his digesting dinner. He looked as if he was about to fall to pieces at any second. "This is it."

Everyone was silent. Hands were clenched and hearts were pumping at rapid paces. Their skin was ice white, but their brains we overheating.

Harry was right. This was it.

An instinct that Hermione didn't even know she had kicked in. Hermione had experienced the raw survival instinct during the war against Voldemort, but this feeling wasn't exactly the same. It was strength, empowerment, and a sense of belonging. For once in her life, Hermione Granger was positive about was she was doing.

"Get your wands out and go outside!" She shouted to the others even though she was just as frightened as they were.

"What?"

"Just do it!" She insisted. "We all know how to produce a proper patronus!"

"There's too many!" Ginny squealed, but headed toward the door anyway. The silent rolling cloud of dementors tumbled toward them still.

Harry was by far the worst as they stepped into the darkening yard. Hermione could only imagine the gruesome sounds he was already hearing in the distance.

"Happy memories!" Hermione reminded them.

With no hesitation, she pointed her wand forward and thought of the day Ron proposed to her. "Expecto Patronum!"

A wispy form of a phoenix sprouted from her wand. It flew shakily through the crowd and burst apart after contact with its first dementor.

She wasn't powerful enough. She was too scared.

All around her she could see weak patronuses that took out a few dementors here and there. There was Harry's stag, Ginny's unicorn, and Ron's wolf appearing over and over again. But she saw even more failed attempts. Silvery slices falling apart as soon as they appeared.

It wasn't working. The dementors came forward as a tremendous pace. The loss of a few others didn't mean them hesitate at all.

Hermione's breath hitched and she slowly lowered her wand. One of the others screamed "Hermione! No!" She just couldn't continue. She needed something. She needed an answer.

The scene continued at an ultra slow speed. She looked down the line to her left. The first thing she saw was Ronald Weasley's red hair and freckled face in all its glory as he threw out another attempt at a patronus. Beside him was his fiery sister, who screamed out the incantation with a look of sheer determination. She held one hand with Harry Potter. He looked weary as he sent out the most stags he'd ever had to in his life. Every time he looked just about done, he'd glance over at Ginny and some force of strength seemed to be renewed.

Hermione hurled her wand forward and screamed "Expecto Patronum!" Her phoenix took out the largest amount of dementors so far. After that, she could see Harry, Ginny, and Ron throwing out slightly stronger forms as well, but it wasn't enough. It was never enough.

She didn't understand it. They were all fighting! They were all fighting side by side!

They were all there. They were all facing their final task. They were all failing.

The dementors were less than a quidditch field away now. They were beginning to flood Hermione's sense, bringing back some of her worst memories. More than just that, she could see her visions. Ginny's bleeding hand, Ginny's dead body, and her own form walking down the isle.

That's when it hit her like a pile of bricks. Whoever she saw in her visions, whether it was an image of herself or Ginny, they were always alone. Nobody was there to save him or try to stop them. "We're doing this wrong!"

Ron and Harry stopped quickly, but Ginny continued to an exhausted pace. Hermione grabbed her by the arm and forces her wand down. "No! Listen to me! We're going to die if we keep doing this!"

"What do we do?" Ginny cried out in reply.

"Together!" Hermione screamed out, fighting away strange sounds and horrible memories. "We're worthless unless we say the incantation together!"

"Won't that backfire?" Harry questioned.

Hermione thought carefully. Mixed magic could be extremely dangerous and often deadly, but it was a risk she was willing to take. If they didn't, they would die anyway.

"It's the only way!" She announced. "Now everyone needs to cast their patronus on three!"

Each of them turned toward their extremely close enemies.

"One!"

Four wands poked out of the human wall.

"Two!"

Four souls scourged up the best memories they could possibly think of.

"Three!"

Out of four wands came the brightest flash of light Hermione had ever witnessed. She couldn't exactly make out the shape in front of her, but it was a gigantic beast with wings. It moved forward toward the dementors, creating a filmy white shield between them and the foursome.

The ground was trembling underneath them so violently that Hermione lost her balance. She was sure she wasn't the only one on the ground, but she could barely see at all.

Suddenly the trembling stopped and Hermione realized she wasn't on the ground anymore at all. The Patronus shield had lifted them off the ground. It had encompassed them in a shining sheer bubble.

Voices whispered ever so softly around her, echoing off the bubble and back into her ears.

"They did it?" "Yes. The guardian's powerful."

The gruff male voice hesitated. "They're all powerful, but why should we trust them, Gweneveire?"

"They passed our test, and so they are our kin."

Hermione could still feel a strange floating presence moments later when she clutched the grass in her hands. She was on the ground. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness of Harry and Ginny's yard without the shining patronus in it. Thoroughly searching the scene, Hermione found her loves one in the same positions and no dementors in sight.

Ron was the first to speak. "Was that patronus a bloody hippogriff?"

"I thought it was a dragon." Harry suggested.

They all spent a moment catching each other's eyes and confirming their existence.

"We're alive." Ginny whispered to her brother, who smiled heartily before embracing her. Ron caught Hermione's eye as he held his sister and pulled Hermione into the embrace as well.

Squeezing them both with all her might, she could see the tears spilling down from Ginny's cheeks as Ron pulled Harry into the giant hug. They were all together again

"Oh thank Merlin! We're alive!"

There's lot stuffed into one chapter, but I hope it didn't throw anything off! What did you think of it? I'd love your input on it all!


	16. A Perfect Love In The Twilight

A/N: And so Hermione's patronus is an otter, not a phoenix. shrug Oh well, that's my fuck up. Thank you to those who told me, but for some of you I would also appreciated an overall review of the chapter and not just a correction. I was having trouble dealing with time in this epilogue, so I used a song that I had stuck in my head to help me along. The song is Steal Me by Jupiter Sunrise, and if you can download music or check them out at I highly suggest listening to this song.

Lucidity- I'm glad the chapter excited you! I was actually worried that there wasn't enough action. And yes, I think Ron is a sexy sort of character. I blame Rupert Grint, and I agree with you that he is quite handsome.

Robin777- Thanks! I didn't want to introduce anything too new and throw people off, so the dementors worked!

Harrysmom- You could make some sense out of the chapter? Good, because if you couldn't I may have had to reread it and hope I didn't doze off halfway through writing it!

HP-Magic- Fluff is honestly not my specialty, but I'm honored to know that you enjoyed my fluff along with the mystery and such.

Angel-and-Devil- I don't know how cool the Weasley ancestors really are. One is alright, but Robertus is a bit of a jerk, really. Still, they came through in the end, so I'll give them credit for that.

Cursed Wedlock by MyKonstantine.

Chapter 16: A Perfect Love In The Twilight

The sun decided not to make an appearance that February morning, but a soft purple glow resided over Hogwarts grounds. The lake shimmered, looking placid except for the occasions when a giant squid tentacle emerged from under the surface.

As it was a Saturday, most children were still lying fast asleep in their four-poster bed. Others may have been down in the Great Hall shoveling down a lovely breakfast, and few academically adept children were shuffling through books in the library. However, none were allowed outside due to the unforeseen circumstances of a pack of Blast-Ended Skrewts getting loose on the grounds.

Hermione knew this was all a quite cleverly planned lie, of course. If there were Blast-Ended Skrewts on the loose, she would have been running around like mad, freezing her arse off. Instead she was quite warm; standing in a sizable patch of grass while the rest of the grounds were covered in a thin blanket on fresh snow that had fallen the night before.

She held six lilies tight between two manicured hands. Golden jewelry framed her body and her chestnut curls were perched upon her head. Her legs itched a bit against the dress she wore, but she tried her best to ignore it. All her friends and loved ones were watching.

Ron stood across from her now, gently smiling and keeping her whole world steady. She took in a deep breath.

Hermione was just glad she wasn't the bride.

A very pregnant Ginny held that position with the utmost grace and beauty. She slowly glided down the isle in her lovely white dress, her crimson hair cascading down her shoulders. Her brown eyes were already teary as she started straight ahead at all that she'd ever lived for. It was a raven-haired man who stood waiting for her.

When Harry and Ginny's hands finally touched, it was like a jolt of electricity shot through the crowd. Nobody could take their eyes off them.

Albus Dumbledore stood in as the Justice of Peace for the ceremony, and Hermione knew that Harry and Ginny wouldn't have had it any other way.

"Trials. Trials are what make up the life of many of us here today." Dumbledore's voice boomed over the wedding crowd. "They are what unite us as a front against all fears, but most importantly, the trials we've endured teach us how to love. Never before have a seen as much love as in those who stand with me at this moment in time."

Hermione's eyes were already beginning to water now. Her best friends were getting married. Don't cry! Don't cry! Don't cry!

"I, Harry James Potter, take you, Ginevra Molly Weasley, to be my wife." Harry began, but Hermione's attention was drawn to a long sob from the audience. Molly Weasley had already broken into tears, but Hermione knew she couldn't.

She was the Maid of Honor! She was the one-woman support group!

"I, Ginevra Molly Weasley, take you, Harry James Potter, to be my husband." Hermione looked over at Ron as Ginny continued to speak. "To have and to hold.." She could see a few stray tears making their way down Ron's cheeks.

It was then that Hermione let her tears flow freely. Ron's stray tears were nothing compared to what sprouted from her eyes.

Dumbledore was now speaking once again. "This love has gone through more trials in a few short years than most will experience in a lifetime, it still thrives. It deserves nothing but praise and blessings. Thus it is my pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

The kiss was long, sweet and simple, and in that moment every soul on Hogwarts' grounds was infinite.

White sparks flew up into the air. The sky was covered in a traditional blessing in the wizarding world. They led the way into the Great Hall, where Hogwarts students had finished breakfast and gone back to their dorms, allowing Harry and Ginny's guest to slip in for a marvelous reception.

The ceiling of the hall revealed a starlit sky with a crescent moon hanging above it all. The foods laid out, like potatoes and pot roast, made the hall feel like home. Ice blue decorations covered the walls and lanterns each containing a single fairy hung from the ceiling.

The table that was occupied only by teachers on a regular school day now belonged to the wedding party. Hermione snuggled into the large wooden seat between Ron and Ginny. She clutched her silver goblet in hand and read the engraving that spelled out "Harry and Ginny" on the goblet.

Hermione put down the goblet when she felt Ron take her other hand. His eyes twinkled as she turned towards him and gave him a keen smile. She was lost for a moment in that gaze until a gentle voice interrupted.

"Lovely wedding, wouldn't you say?"

A man with a long silvery beard and half-moon spectacles stood in front of them, smiling warmly at the young couple.

Ron was the first to find his voice. "It's excellent, Professor Dumbledore." He forked up a glob of mashed potatoes. "This wedding was planned really well."

The elderly headmaster nodded. "And when will you be wedding Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley?"

"In the autumn." Hermione answered. "The week after Halloween in Hogsmeade."

Ron swallowed his mashed potatoes with a loud gulping noise. "You should be receiving an invitation soon."

"Why thank you. I think I'll just continue my rounds now." With that, the wise old wizard walked away.

It took very little time for the wedding guests to devour the hefty morsels of food put before them. Soon the tables had vanished, and it their places were several rowdy dancers.

Fred and George flew all over the dance floor with their dates, Angelina Spinnet and Katie Bell. They wore blue silk robes they'd splurged on now that they had a success business. As usual, the twins looked as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Bill had decided to come to the wedding dateless, but this was to his advantage, because that way he was able to spend a little time hitting on every other girl there. Charlie had come with a Romanian girl named Anica. Much to Mrs. Weasley's disappointment, Charlie insisted that they were just friends.

Only one Weasley brother was missing. Even long after the war's end, Percy was far too ashamed to attend the marriage of his sister to one Harry Potter.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley danced slowly and a bit awkwardly. It was obvious that they had been out of practice, but that wasn't going to stop them from enjoying themselves. Their smiles were young and vibrant as they remembered their own wedding day and the love that had only grown ever since.

In the center of it all were the new Mr. and Mrs. Potter, slow dancing even to the fast songs. They drank each other's presence in, ignoring everyone else in the room. They were in their own irreversible state of bliss.

Ron and Hermione had danced for a long time, but were resting at the Head Table when a twinkling melody began to course through the room.

"Shall we?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow at Hermione.

She let the song sink in for a moment before saying, "Let's go."

They walked out on the floor, surrounded by people they'd grown up with. Some of these people fought with them, others cried with them, and some made the laugh when they needed it most. Not matter what, they were always together.

_Sleep in the grass in a blue field. _

_Fireflies blinking past Orion. _

_All sprawled out beside the bikes_

_The wheels still spinning._

Hermione found herself looking back to the days when she'd first met Ron, then to the times when, as a silly schoolgirl, she'd first realized she had a crush on her fiery haired best friend. At that moment, she held on to that youthful innocence she'd lost during the war once again. She was dancing with her best friend. She was dancing with her only love.

_I know a shortcut along the stone wall, _

_Where evergreen soldiers point their branches, _

_For a child-like mind like yours and mine to follow._

Her world spun to only months before when she finally admitted her love to the man of her dreams. There were so many years in between that she thought she'd never tell him. With all their bickering and pestering, she didn't understand who he could have ever loved her.

_So come on, steal me. _

_Come on, steal me. _

But there she was, held tight in his arms. Not only did she love him, but also had the reassurance that he loved her back.

_I drew a map so that we can get home,_

_Or maybe come back here in the summer, _

_But I'm not sure how to draw a path to get to moonlight._

She looked down at the ring on her finger. Her engagement ring was simple, but that's all she needed. A simple ring from an extraordinary man. He had fought against Lord Voldemort and he had fought against the Weasley curse, never faltering along the way.

So tonight these stars can shine as our halo 

_And pine trees watch over like guardian angels,_

_Protecting a perfect love between twilight, _

_And all a lifetime of yearning._

The fairies above began to admit a green sparkle now. Everyone in the room watched the changing glow in awe. Hermione snuggled her head into Ron's shoulder and felt more at home than she ever had before.

_So come on, steal me. _

_Come on, steal me._

Two days after the wedding, Ron and Hermione moved into their true home at 12 Grimmauld Place. There was nothing quite as comforting as a long night's sleep next to Ronald Weasley. Before bed, two whispers would always fill the room just as they had in Egypt. "I love you, Mr. Weasley." "I love you too, Mrs. Weasley."

_I won't be awake for much longer _

_So come on._

These were the days that Hermione had fought for in war and in curses, in bickering and nagging, in studying and dazing off, in friendship and in love. She felt as if nothing could ever bring her down from her state of pure bliss. This was her reward.

_Come on, steal me. _

_Come on, steal me. _

Three weeks later, Harry's ended shone through the emerald fireplace in Ron and Hermione's bedroom at nearly two in the morning!

"Harry?" Ron grumbled in annoyed confusion. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

"Am I disturbing something?" Harry responded in a slightly stressed tone.

"Yes! My sleep!"

"Fine," Harry said nonchalantly, "If you don't want to be at St. Mungo's when you become an uncle, that's alright with me."

Ron jumped up, exchanging an excited glance with Hermione.

Hermione rolled out of bed first. "We'll be there in five minutes!"

"That sounds more like it!" Harry laughed. Seconds later, his head disappeared from the fireplace.

Half asleep and in mismatched clothing, Ron and Hermione apparated to St. Mungo's. There they found a very nervous looking Molly Weasley with her husband Arthur, who seemed much calmer. Fred and George sat next to them, calmly discussing the issue.

"I realize that Harry is now Ginny's husband, but if she's in that much pain, I say that still gives us grounds to pummel him."

"We never did get to punish him properly when we found out Ginny was pregnant? He was smart enough to propose directly after."

Ron shook his head at the twins. "There will be no pummeling of Harry."

"I guess not." George sighed. Fred leaned over toward Ron as he took a seat. "But you would make a lovely substitute."

"George Weasley!" A shrill voice that could only belong to Molly Weasley cried out. "How could you even think of hurting your brother at a time like this?"

Ron opened his mouth to argue, but Hermione intercepted it. "Not that it would necessarily damage Ron. He's a grow man, you know."

"Thank you, 'Mione." Ron sat back smugly in his seat.

The wait was long and after a while the family had run out of things to talk about. On a few different occasions, the twins and even Arthur had dozed off with their heads against the wall, snoring soundly. For those who stayed awake, the wait was painful. They were unsure if everything was all right, but there was no way to know. All they could do was sit there.

Finally, the doors leading to Ginny's room burst open and Harry strutted out. His robes were rolled up to his elbows and he seemed a bit tired, but he also looked like he'd been crying a bit.

"Harry! Is everything okay? Did Ginny have the baby?"

Harry only smiled, wiping the residue of his watery eyes away. The only thing he said was "Come with me."

The family jumped up. Hermione's pulse raced as she entered the room and saw Ginny lying on a hospital bed. She looked dead exhausted. Sweat plastered her ginger hair to her forehead and all around her neck. She too had a few tear streaks on her cheeks.

Ginny looked at all the people who entered the room, then looked down. In her hands there was a little blue bundle that stood out in the plain white room. On one end there was the head of a miniature baby with the first wisps of black hair already showing.

"It's a boy."

I realize I didn't name Harry and Ginny's baby, but I did this because of one of my own pet peeves. I hate when somebody gives a character's child a name that's a) ultra HP cliché or b) a name I just don't like. Thus, I didn't want to do that to any of you. Now you can all choose your own name for the baby boy.

Okay.. I must ask my loyal reviewers a question. I'm going to continue writing, of course, but as of right now I'm short on ideas. Therefore I was thinking of doing a spin-off of either Love, Actually or Grease. So what do you think? Should I do Love, Actually, Grease, or save it until I can think up another original plot?

Thank you to everyone who has read this story, especially those of you who reviewed it all. I hope the epilogue didn't disappoint.


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